Second Chance
by CamilaGnR
Summary: Almost a year after the events of DmC Dante rescues a girl who, for some reason, is persecuted by demons and can be dragged into Limbo. He will try to find out why and along the way will try to help her recover from a very traumatic experience while fighting his own inner demons too.
1. Chapter 1

**WARNING:** This story deals with drug abuse, suicide, rape and violence

* * *

Chapter 1:

He was returning home from a night out, as usual, he had drunk enough alcohol to make him feel a little dizzy but was still perfectly conscious of his surroundings. He didn't know exactly what time it was but calculated it was around 2 or 3 am given there was no one else on the street. It had been a few months since the last time he brought any girls home and wasn't planning on doing it anytime soon, he had become kind of a loner ever since "that" happened.

The demon hunter kept making his way home until he noticed something was different, he didn't know exactly what it was and was trying to figure it out as he looked around a little confused. At first, he thought it was the alcohol's effect, but then he heard someone screaming.

\- Leave me alone! – a female voice said

Dante shook his head as he went back to his senses and ran in the direction of the voice that sounded angry, not so much scared. When he got there he saw it. It was a young woman being dragged by the arms by two demons. And then it hit him, he was no longer in the real world, he was in Limbo, that's what was different. He pulled out his guns, Ebony and Ivory, and started shooting at the demons nonstop till they died and faded.

\- What are you doing here? – Dante asked in a concerned voice since humans are not supposed to be able to cross to Limbo so her being there didn't make sense in the first place

\- What? – she said still in shock from the shooting, but then her face changed as if she had realized something – What are YOU doing here?

Dante just gave her a puzzled look. He could tell she was very pretty but she seemed a little lost, like her body was there but her mind was somewhere else.

\- Apparently saving you – he was still wondering how the hell she was able to be in Limbo and why and where were those two demons dragging her.

\- I don't need to be saved, this is MY nightmare

\- Your what? – He replied almost laughing - You think this is a nightmare?! Let me tell you something, this is real! Those demons were attacking you

\- Demons? – she asked sounding very confused

At that moment the atmosphere started changing again, they were going back to the real world and both of them seemed to notice it.

\- See? This is the real world, moments before we were in Limbo, that's the place where the demons dwell

She seemed very confused and started looking at her hands to see if it was indeed reality and then she poked Dante in the arm, he seemed pretty real.

\- How did you get into Limbo? Humans are not supposed to be there – he said turning serious

\- I have no idea – she answered shrugging - and look who's talking, you were there too

\- It is my job, I am a demon hunter, my name is Dante, I can get dragged in there by demons and apparently you too, but I don't understand why

\- Well I don't understand either – she said in an irritated voice - My name is Helena by the way

He stared at her for a couple of seconds. There was definitely something off about her, but he just couldn't put his finger on it. He thought that maybe she was just drunk or something like that.

\- Hey, where did you get that? – Dante asked pointing to the girl's necklace, it caught his attention since the pendant looked similar to the symbol he had on his back.

\- It was my mother's, but that's none of your business – she answered sharply

Dante could clearly tell she was not the friendly type of girl, in fact, her body language screamed "stay away from me".

\- You know, a little bit of gratitude would be nice since I just saved your life – he was beginning to get irritated by her whole attitude

\- I have to go now, and yes ok fine, thank you I guess – she said sounding a little bored as she turned around and began walking away

This was definitely not what he had expected saving girls in danger to be like, not even a smile in return, she said "thanks" but it was obvious that she didn't mean it.

\- Nice hair by the way – she said turning again and in a mocking tone referring to Dante's peculiar hair color that at the time was white with chunks of dark brown hair here and there, and then she kept walking

\- Hey, be careful, I won't be there to save you again – he didn't really mean that either, he was just a little bit annoyed but her little joke made him smile slightly

Dante became serious again once she left, he had lots of things going through his mind.

 _Why was she in Limbo? Maybe she is a medium and doesn't know it, but mediums only go into Limbo in astral form not physical form like she did. What if she is not human, she had that pendant with that symbol after all…. Besides, something was off about that girl, I mean she was attacked by two freaking demons and I told her I'm a demon hunter and she barely reacted! I expected her to, at least be, you know, impressed, but no! Maybe I should follow her to see what's the deal with her._


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

Dante followed Helena making sure she wouldn't notice him. At moments he thought he was going to get caught because from time to time she would turn to look if someone was near her, thing that made her look a little paranoid in Dante's opinion, but he tried to understand her, she had just been attacked by demons after all.

She got to her apartment, it was in a five story building, and she went inside and disappeared from Dante's view. He was about to leave, disappointed that he couldn't find anything more about her, when he saw a light turning on in the fifth floor, that had to be her apartment. The demon hunter climbed the fire escape to reach the window from which the light was coming, when he got there he tried to look through a small gap between the curtains. He could see her in the middle of her room taking her jacket off. Then she took off her shirt and her pants.

\- Jackpot! – Dante thought to himself while a devilish smile drew on his face

But the demon hunter's smile disappeared when she went to another room and stayed there for a couple of minutes and then came out with an oversized T-shirt and cotton shorts. She seemed to be looking for something in one drawer. Dante couldn't really see what she was doing since he could only see her back, and was very surprised when she finally turned around. She was injecting herself in the arm with a substance in a syringe.

\- A fucking junkie – Dante muttered in shock

 _Well, there goes my theory of her not being human, only humans get affected by drugs. And that's what was off about her, it must be difficult to get impressed or shocked when you are high, but still that doesn't answer how she got into Limbo and what did the demons want with her._

Dante decided to go home, which was not very far from there. In his way he thought about how sad it was that such a beautiful girl would waste her life on drugs, but despite that, he thought it was still an interesting night after all.

When he got to his place, he got undressed and looked at himself in the mirror, his hair looked indeed kind of funny. He smiled a little remembering how Helena teased him, but his smile disappeared moments later when he remembered "that", the last time he used the devil trigger. Dante shook his head, he didn't like to think about that and remember all the pain, so he decided to go to bed.

He normally didn't have dreams or at least he didn't remembered them once he woke up, but that night he had a short but meaningful one, one that would end up changing his life forever.

 _He was on his way home from a job he had to do, when he arrived he noticed blood coming out from under the front door. He opened it worried, wondering whose blood it could be. He lived alone and no one would dare to enter his apartment just like that. When he got to his room he froze in shock by what he saw, he remembered everything now. She was dead. She was murdered in the grimmest way possible. He felt sick to his stomach, like he was going to throw up any second from that scene. His hands were shaking while he approached the severed head laying on the floor, but when he saw it up close it was not who he thought it was…_

Dante woke up very agitated and immediately got up and started getting dressed.

\- Helena – he thought worried

He ran to her building, it was very early in the morning, probably around 6 am. It had only been a few hours since he last saw her, but still he had to make sure she was ok, especially after that dream he had. When he got there everything seemed normal, but he realized the window was now open, he climbed the fire escape only to see there was blood in there. He looked into the apartment, everything was a mess and Helena was not there.

\- Damn it! – he cursed under his breath

Dante ran outside again and tried to follow the small blood stains on the pavement. Before he knew it he found himself back in Limbo, which was good because it meant the demons that took her were close, and he was right because after turning the next corner he saw a small group of them. One of them was carrying an unconscious Helena over its shoulder and they were about to go through something that looked like a portal.

\- Hey! You ugly piece of shit! – he called out angrily

The demons noticed Dante, and tried to attack him while the one carrying Helena approached the portal. Dante quickly got rid of them a managed to get to the main one before he crossed the portal and killed him. As soon as he did it the portal closed, which made Dante think that whoever opened it was watching them and closed it as soon as they realized that their plan was not going to work.

\- That was close – he thought while looking at Helena unconscious on the floor

It was obvious to him that for whatever reason demons were after her and she needed protection. She was injured, she had a small cut on her forehead from which the blood stains were from, it didn't look serious so Dante discarded taking her to a hospital and decided to take her to his apartment.

\- Hope she doesn't mind – he said as he carried her bride style


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

Dante placed her on his bed and cleaned her wound, and just like he thought, it wasn't anything serious. At this point, he was racking his brain trying to figure out what was going on, she was clearly just a regular human, she didn't even seem to be a medium or have any psychic abilities, but still demons were after her, everything was just so strange.

As he was pondering the situation he realized he had barely had any sleep and decided to lay on the two-seat couch in his bedroom near the bed. He was very tired so it didn't take him long to fall asleep. Unfortunately his rest didn't last very long…

\- What am I doing here?! – he heard someone yelling at him as he was suddenly hit in the face and was waken up

He knew the hit was supposed to hurt him but it was just enough to wake him up. Being a Nephilim had its advantages, one of them being having a very high tolerance to pain.

\- You are the guy from before! – she said as he sat up

\- Yeah, and you should be thanking me instead of hitting me in the face! – he said sounding very irritated

\- What happened? Why did I wake up here? – she said with panic in her voice, she was starting to freak out

He tried to calm her down and proceeded to tell her what had happened and why he brought her to his apartment.

\- Wait…What were you doing outside my apartment at 6 am? – she asked nervously

\- I…Uhm… I just had a bad feeling – he explained, but she didn't look convinced at all

\- Well… I have to go – she said believing he was some kind of stalker or something like that

\- You can't go, they'll come after you again, you need me

\- Yeah, I don't think so – she said in a serious tone

Dante was a man of little patience and he was starting to lose it.

\- Listen, you know what you saw there on the street, maybe if you stopped injecting drugs in your body you would distinguish reality from your hallucinations – he bluntly said, but immediately realized he probably shouldn't have said that last thing

\- How do you even know…? Ok, you are definitely a stalker – she said as she pushed him away to get out of his place

Dante rolled his eyes, he was genuinely trying to help someone for once in his life and this is what he gets in return.

\- You know what? Leave, I don't care – he said as she left the apartment

Only a few minutes went by and Dante was already out going after her. He had a weird feeling in his chest, something he hadn't experienced since "that" day, on that occasion he didn't have the chance to make things differently, but he had the chance now, he was just hoping it wouldn't be too late.

He could see it from the distance, Limbo, which only meant one thing, she was in trouble… again.

\- Shit!

Dante ran as fast as he could arriving just in time, as she was surrounded by three demons and once again there was a portal which closed as soon as Dante got there.

He easily killed the demons with his sword Rebellion and approached her, she seemed too terrified to even talk.

\- Are you ok?

She just nodded in response.

\- I told you, you need me. Whoever is behind this knows when I'm close, that's why demons only appear when you are alone.

\- Ok – she just muttered still in shock

\- You'll have to stay in my apartment for a while, until I figure this situation out.

And suddenly, staying with the stalker guy with weird hair color seemed like a good idea compared to the demons.

\- Fine – she agreed – I need to pick some stuff up from my apartment

\- Sure, I'll go with you

They went to her apartment which was still a mess from that morning's abduction. Dante sat on the couch and waited while she packed her stuff.

\- Come on! Hurry up, what's taking you so long? I'm starving! – he said after half an hour of waiting

\- I'm packing! Shut up

He was already kind of regretting helping her.

 _This is the last time I do something nice for anyone._

Once she was done, they started silently walking to his place.

\- I have tons of questions for you – she finally said

\- They'll have to wait until I have lunch, I'm not in the mood

\- Fine – she said as she was having a bad feeling about this whole thing


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

They arrived to his place, it was a relatively small apartment, it had one bedroom with a bathroom, a small living room, and a kitchen which was barely used at all since the owner didn't know how to cook a thing.

\- You can sleep on my bed – he said as he walked her to the bedroom

\- Thanks but, where are you going to sleep? – she asked as she noticed there was only one bedroom in the place

Dante pointed to the two-seat couch in the bedroom near the bed.

\- I could sleep there on that couch, since it is the only big couch I have, but I don't think you are going to like that… so I guess it will have to be on one of the small couches in the living room – his face showed that he didn't like that idea himself but deep inside he knew it was the right thing

\- No, don't bother, I will sleep in the living room

\- It's ok, I'll survive – in his best attempt to lie he gave her a slight smile

She didn't expect him to actually be that nice, or at least try to be, since he seemed to be a very moody guy. So this sudden act of chivalry took her by surprise.

\- Uhm…ok…Thanks – maybe he was not so bad after all

\- Yeah whatever, are we going to have lunch or what? – He said impatiently, killing the moment… at least he was trying to be nice.

\- I guess I have no option – she said jokingly

They started walking to his favorite pizza restaurant in town, it was around 2 in the afternoon, and the streets were kind of crowded. They were walking in silence but after a few minutes Dante noticed something was wrong with her. She seemed very anxious and nervous to the point that she was almost shaking and she would look back every few minutes as if checking if someone was chasing her. Dante thought it was because of the whole demon ordeal but still found it odd.

\- Hey, are you ok? – he asked concerned

\- Yes – she quickly answered

He didn't believe her at all.

\- You don't look ok

\- It's none of your business – she said bluntly

\- Fuck, fine – now he was pissed

She then realized she shouldn't have reacted like that, he meant no harm and was just asking.

\- Listen, I'm sorry, the thing is…I…have… some issues ok?

\- Well, that makes two of us

\- Really? – she asked curiously

\- Yeah, but that's none of your business – he looked at her and gave her his typical half smile

\- Fine, fine, I get it, I said I was sorry – she genuinely apologized again

He accepted her apology, and thought she might be over sensitive about her "issues" and wondered if that had anything to do with her drug abuse, the only conclusion he could get at that time was that this girl was kind of a mess. And he was so right.

They shortly after arrived to the restaurant and sat on a table for two. He didn't even look at the menu since he always ordered the same thing, a big pizza with no olives. She was not really hungry but took a look at the menu anyways.

\- Dante! It's so nice to see you again! Are you having the usual? – a waitress came to their table with a huge smile on her face, but as soon as she looked at Helena, gave her a nasty look.

The waitress was a pretty girl, kind of short, with blonde hair, blue eyes, and lots of makeup. It was obvious she was infatuated with Dante. He didn't seem to notice or care at all, as he just replied with a simple _Yes_ to her question without even looking at her.

 _So he is that type of guy… well, what did you expect Helena, after all, he is very handsome, he probably has a line of girls waiting to get his attention…_

She was brought back to reality when she realized both Dante and the waitress were looking at her as if waiting for her to say something.

\- Oh, I… umh… will have a… strawberry sundae! – she just said the name of her favorite thing to eat as she hadn't thought of anything and having both Dante and the unfriendly waitress looking expectantly at her was way too uncomfortable for her to look at the menu again

\- Ok, I will be right back – the waitress said giving one more smile to Dante before leaving and as before, she went unnoticed by the demon hunter.

\- You do realize that she likes you right? – She asked Dante curious to see if he was a douche that ignored girls or if he was just stupid enough not to notice the waitress liked him.

\- Of course! But who can blame her? – he said arrogantly

He was a douche.

Helena rolled her eyes but smiled at Dante's joke anyway. Finally, he had managed to get a smile from her, even if it was just a faint one he couldn't help to smile back at her.

\- Are you really only gonna eat a strawberry sundae? – he asked in disbelieve

\- I'm not really hungry

\- Don't get offended but… you look like you need more food – he didn't mean to be rude, but one of his defects was being honest, too honest; and to him she looked way too thin.

Despite Dante's warning, she did get offended, she was aware that in the past three months she had lost a lot of weight as that also had to do with her "issues". Issues she was not going to discuss with a stranger.

\- Fuck you, it's not like I chose this – she said looking angry

\- You know what, I'm done talking to you, just let me eat my pizza – he was getting mad again, talking to her was like riding a roller coaster

\- I told you, I have questions – she said in all seriousness

He pinched the bridge of his nose asking in the name of Sparda for more patience.

\- Fine, ask – he said, he looked relieved as he saw his pizza was coming

Helena waited until the waitress was gone to start asking her many questions.

\- Ok, first I want to know, why you and I are the only ones that can see those things

\- I can answer why I can see them, why you can, I don't know – he was in a better mood again after tasting his beloved pizza

\- What does that mean?

He sighed, he knew he had to tell a very long story, a story hard to believe but he knew she had no option but to believe in him.

\- Demons appear in a dimension called Limbo, it's a dimension humans cannot perceive, unless they are… a medium – his expression changed when he mentioned the last word, as if it brought back painful memories

Thankfully for him, Helena didn't notice that and kept on asking.

\- So, why can you see them then? Don't tell me you are a medium – she looked very skeptical at her latest statement

\- Ok, so this is where it gets weird... I'm not human – he looked expectantly at her, waiting for a reaction, but got none

\- Can you stop joking? This is a serious matter! – she was angry again

\- I'm not! Why else do you think I can fight them so easily? Just think about that

He was right, the first time she saw him fight those creatures it was so surreal she thought it was a dream or a hallucination caused by the drugs. The second time she saw him fight she was too scared to even process the fighting surrounding her at that time, but now looking back at it, his skills didn't seem human at all.

\- What are you then? – she asked, a little afraid to know the answer

\- I'm a Nephilim – he simply said

She had heard that word before, she liked mythology and remembered that according to the Bible a Nephilim was a creature that was half angel and half human.

\- You are half angel, half h… - she was going to say the word "human" but was interrupted

\- Demon – he cut her off, knowing she had the wrong concept

\- What!? – She nearly shouted causing some of the other customers to look at her, she nervously smiled at them trying to indicate that everything was fine so they would stop staring

\- I'm half angel, half demon. I know, humans have the wrong definition of Nephilim, I've googled it – he said matter-of-factly

\- You a… are… half demon? But demons are so hideous! – She was horrified, the sole thought of a beautiful angel having a baby with one of those abominable creatures creeped her out

\- What can I say, my dad was a handsome demon – he said with an arrogant smile on his face

She was too shocked to even acknowledge Dante's joke

\- But… you look so… normal

\- You know… - he said as he leaned forward so his face would be very close to hers – demons can take human form

She got scared at his statement and immediately leaned back and away from him. He meant that this was not his natural form and in reality he looked just like the things that were after her?

\- This is not you… your true form? – she was almost too scared to ask

\- Don't be silly! I told you I'm not a demon, I'm a Nephilim. I meant my father had a human form, and angels look pretty human, so that's why I look "normal"

On one side, she felt so relieved to know he didn't actually look like a horrible demon. On the other side, the fact that this guy had demon blood running through his veins was still a little unsettling. Anyway, the revelation of this new information only filled her with more questions.

\- And where are they? Your parents

\- Dead – he bluntly said

\- Oh… I'm sorry – deep inside she was a little glad Mr. Demon was not around anymore, and wanted to ask why, what had happened to them, but felt it would come out as rude, after all it was his parents they were talking about.

\- You wanna know why? – he asked as if reading her mind

She just nodded in response.

\- Because the union between a demon and an angel is forbidden. So a demon Emperor called Mundus murdered my mother and banished my father forever.

\- D…Demon Emperor? Where is he now? – To think there were more terrifying things than the demons she saw earlier gave her Goosebumps

\- I killed him – Dante said with his arrogant smile

She didn't know whether to be afraid of him for killing a Demon Emperor or to feel safe to be around him. She decided to go for the latter but made a mental note not to piss him off again.

\- So… are you the only one? – She asked

\- The only what?

\- The only Nephilim

Dante's expression changed completely, he looked angry now. It was time to talk about his least favorite topic in the whole word. Vergil.

He grabbed a glass of water and drunk the content. It was amazing how just thinking about that asshole could make him sick to his stomach and ruin a pizza meal.

Seeing his expression made her think she shouldn't have asked that, but it was already too late.

\- Sadly no, I'm not. I have a stupid twin brother – he said with bitterness in his voice

\- Really? – She said in surprise as she wasn't expecting him to say the other Nephilim around was a member of his own family, so she didn't quite understand why the anger in his face.

\- Let's not talk about that piece of shit – he said bluntly

She remembered earlier that day when he said he had some "issues" too, she guessed he was referring to his obvious family issues, issues that were too private to talk about with a stranger, so she decided it was better to change the subject.

\- So… uhm… do you have like… superpowers?

\- I guess you could say that… I'm stronger and faster than any human, and also I have a healing factor.

\- Woow, that sounds cool

\- It is – he said with his typical arrogant smile

She was glad he was in a better mood once again.

Once they finished eating, they left the restaurant, but she noticed Dante was not going the direction they came from.

\- Where are we going?

\- I want to show you something – he just said


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

\- What do you want to show me?

\- I want to teach you how to defend yourself, in case… I'm not around

\- How?

\- You'll see

As they walked he noticed she was anxious and nervous again and kept looking back every now and then, but decided it was better not to ask this time.

\- It's ok, you are safe with me – he said in a soothing tone

She certainly was not expecting him to say something like that and looked at him a little surprised. In a way it felt nice to know that he cared, that at least someone cared. But sadly the kind of demons she was fighting were not the ones he could protect her from.

\- Thanks – she quietly replied looking to the ground

They walked in silence for about half an hour until they got to a forest like area and a "Restricted access" sign could be seen blocking the path. The warning sign was completely ignored by the demon hunter as he kept walking.

For a moment she stopped and thought it was not the brightest idea to go to the middle of the forest with a man she just met, but in all honesty she had nothing left to lose so she followed him.

They walked for another fifteen minutes until he decided they were far enough from the initial path, and therefore far away from any other person.

\- Have you ever shot a gun before? – he turned around and faced her

\- No… why? – she answered nervously

\- Well, today you are going to – he moved his coat with his hands to reveal he had two guns holstered around his hip

She then remembered, he used two guns the first day she met him, but she didn't think he was carrying them around at that time, so she stepped back in surprise and fear, she didn't have good memories in relation to guns.

\- I'm not going to touch that – she said in all seriousness

\- You have to learn at least the basics, it could save your life. Besides, I'm not going to be always there to protect you

She knew he was right, and given the circumstances she had no choice.

\- Ok… I'll try…

\- Good. Take it – he said as he gave her one of his guns, Ivory

Helena took the gun nervously, her hand shaking a little.

\- You have to hold it up like this – he said as he showed her the right way to do it

Since she wasn't doing it correctly he got behind her and adjusted her arms and shoulders. Helena felt very uncomfortable by the sudden closeness between them, but decided to ignore it and focus on the task. Once she got the position right she started to feel more relaxed with the gun in her hands and was not shaking anymore.

\- That's good, now aim at that tree – he said and pointed at one big three that was about 50 feet away – try to hit it as close to the middle as you can

She aimed and shot with no hesitation, as if she was a pro at shooting. Dante was really shocked to see the bullet had struck the tree right in the middle. He looked at her in disbelieve. There was no way this was her first time shooting.

\- I thought you said this was your first time – he felt cheated and that irritated him a little

\- It is my first time!

\- There is no way you can hit that right in the middle in your first try

\- It's not that hard you know – she said as if it wasn't a big deal

He looked very skeptical, but thought that maybe it was just luck.

\- Let's try something harder then, try hitting that same tree in the exact same spot.

He wanted to see how close she would get this second time around so he could determine whether it was luck or not. She got in position and shot once again. There was no sign of another bullet hole in the tree, so Dante's first thought was that the first strike was just luck. He was about to say something about beginner's luck and such when he finally realized there was no second hole on the tree because the second bullet had impacted in the exact same spot as the first one. Dante couldn't believe his eyes, this was just too much to be a mere coincidence, only someone with professional training would be able to do such thing… unless…

Dante immediately took Ebony out of its holster and pointed it right at Helena's head with no hesitation. She was so astonished by this that she dropped Ivory to the ground in shock and found herself unable to say a word.

\- I don't care how pretty you are, if you are a demon I will kill you – he said in all seriousness

\- D…demon? What are you talking about? Have you lost your mind?! – there was a hint in desperation in her voice

He didn't replied but kept the gun pointed at her head, his expression showed he was determined to do whatever he had to do. This was it, it was over; she knew she shouldn't have gone to the middle of an isolated forest with a man she just met, deep inside she knew something like this could happen but decided to do it anyways because she felt she had nothing else to lose. The so desired death was finally coming to her, but it still scared her, the feeling of not knowing what's after it, terrified her in a way, but she was about to find out, so she decided to close her eyes and wait for it, just hoping it wouldn't hurt.

In Dante's head the fact of her being a demon in disguise explained a lot of things like why she could be dragged into Limbo and why she had insane skills with guns. Probably all of this was just a set up for some sick plan his demented brother or someone else had for him.

He was about to pull the trigger when he saw it, something a demon would never do, he saw her cry. She still had her eyes closed but the tears were running down her face. She couldn't be a demon because there was one thing he knew for sure, devils never cry.

Dante put the gun down feeling like a complete idiot and sighed, he couldn't believe how close he was to kill an innocent person. Helena opened her eyes in surprise, wondering why he didn't shoot.

\- I'm sorry, for a moment I thought you were a demon – he sincerely apologized

She didn't reply but instead walked fiercely towards him, all her fear had turned into rage. She didn't care what he was or son of who he was she just wanted to knock his teeth out, so she punched him right in the face with all the strength she could find. Unfortunately for her the impact seemed to hurt her more than it did him.

\- Fuck! – she shouted holding her hand in pain

\- Don't do that, I don't want to hurt you – he try to sound as calm as possible since he didn't want to admit the punch actually hurt him a little

\- You don't want to hurt me?! You almost killed me, you idiot! – She shouted at him indignant.

\- I told you, I'm sorry!

\- You are sorry? Fuck you! What in your tiny little brain made you think I was a freaking demon? – she said as the pain in her hand was slowly fading

\- What you did with the gun it's impossible for a beginner and that also would explain why I found you in Limbo.

\- Why didn't you pull the trigger then? – she still sounded mad

\- Demons don't cry – he said as he touched her face trying to wipe the tears away

She immediately smacked his hand away.

\- Don't touch me! – she said as a warning

Dante rolled his eyes, there were probably a million girls that would die for him to touch them and she just rejected him. Well, that's a first.

\- I tell you what, I know how you can get even

\- Keep going – she said sounding interested in the upcoming proposal

\- This time, instead of shooting trees you are going to try to shoot me

Helena wasn't expecting him to say that, but she liked the idea since the punch didn't seem to do anything at all and even if he had a healing factor she thought it would be nice to see him get shot.

\- I'm in – she said finally smiling

\- I want to see if you can hit a moving target, so I'm gonna run across that part – he said as he pointed at some trees – and you are going to try to hit me

\- Ok – she had determination in her eyes which scared Dante a little

\- One thing – he said turning serious - Don't shoot me in the head

\- Why not? You are ruining all the fun – she said jokingly

\- The fact that I have a healing factor doesn't mean it doesn't hurt

\- Oh… - she wasn't so sure that she wanted to do it anymore

She had never experienced it but was sure that a gunshot wound hurt, and a lot, way more than the punch she wanted to give him in the first place. And the truth was, she didn't really want to hurt him that bad, she thought that him being a Nephilim meant that he felt no pain, but was wrong. And what if she accidentally hit him in the head or the eye, or the heart, would he be able to heal that? How far could his healing ability go? She had tons of questions running through her head now.

Dante noticed she was doubting now.

\- It's ok, you can shoot me in the arm, I'll be fine – he reassured her

\- What if I can't do it? What if I accidentally hit you in the head?

\- It's not like I would die but… I just hate being shot in the head. Besides, you won't, I trust you - he said as he took off his coat so it wouldn't get any bullet holes in it.

Dante left his coat on the ground and started walking to the place he would start running from. He was hoping he wouldn't regret this and wished she either missed completely or aim perfectly at his arm. He truly hated being shot in the face or the head.

Dante decided he was going to run pretty fast to see the extent of the abilities.

\- Ok, get ready! I will start running now! – he shouted so she would listen

She got in position and he began running. A few seconds later a gunshot was heard.

\- Ouch! – he said as he instinctively grab his arm

Helena dropped the gun and ran towards him worried. She saw the wound was bleeding behind his hand, but he looked extremely calmed nevertheless. She then saw amazed how he just took the bullet out of his arm like it was nothing. It was clear the wound was pretty deep and he was just treating it like a mosquito bite.

\- A… are you ok? – she asked concerned

\- Sure, look

She couldn't believe her eyes as she saw the wound healing itself until it was completely closed and healed, not even a scar was left. Helena walked a few more steps towards Dante and couldn't help but touch his arm in the place where the wound had been. It was as if nothing had happened, except for the blood that had come out of the wound when it was still there.

\- Woow – she muttered in disbelieve, her fingers touching his skin

\- So… I can't touch you but you can touch me? – he said in a mocking tone

She looked at him realizing what she was doing and she felt a blush working its way up to her cheeks. Helena turned around so Dante wouldn't notice. But he did.

\- Sorry – she said shyly

\- I'm not complaining – he replied mischievously

She didn't say anything to that and started walking towards the gun she had dropped moments before and gave it back to its owner.

This last test brought more questions than answers to Dante's head. He had ran pretty fast and she still aimed perfectly. He was hoping he would find out the whole deal with this girl soon, but for now, the fact that she didn't even try to shoot him anywhere else meant he could trust her.

\- Ok, let's call it a day – he said as he put his coat back on

\- Yes, I'm really tired

So they began walking towards the exit of the forest and back to his apartment.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

Dante and Helena didn't know it but someone had been watching them. That person was not physically there but kept an eye on them using some kind of demonic magic.

\- You are going to regret getting in my way once again Dante – he said clenching his teeth – I was so close to capturing her!

\- Sir, do you want me to send someone after them? – his loyal subject said

\- No, not yet, I have to plan this

The fact that Dante was protecting her now had pissed him off at first but now he realized that it was actually perfect because it meant he would have the opportunity to finally kill him and capture her at the same time.

\- Caring about others, that is your biggest weakness Dante. You are just digging your own grave – he couldn't help to smile at that thought

* * *

She started to feel the anxiety rising as they were walking in the crowded streets. She remembered the happier times when her life was not a complete mess like now, the times when she could walk down the streets without feeling like a mouse in a room full of cats, and the times when she didn't need drugs to sleep at night.

Dante remained silent the entire way as he noticed she was lost in her own thoughts, but the way she looked completely terrified every time there were people around her disturbed him.

By the time they arrived to the apartment it was already night time so he just wanted to rest since he hadn't slept that much the previous night. But there was one thing he wanted to do first.

\- I'm gonna take some of my stuff from my room, wait here – he told her as he made his way to the bedroom

\- Ok

She sat on one of the small couches in the living room, she couldn't say the place was exactly cozy but it wasn't that bad. There was not much decoration, actually there wasn't any decoration at all except for one picture hanging on one of the walls. It was the picture of a young woman probably in her twenties. Helena wondered who she was, and how was she related to Dante, it couldn't be his sister since he would have probably mentioned her when he talked about his twin brother and other Nephilim, and it couldn't be his girlfriend since no man with a girlfriend would invite another girl to stay at his house, unless he was that type of guy.

It was then that Dante came out of the room with a black plastic bag in his hand. Helena was tempted to ask about the girl in the picture but decided not to as it might be a too personal question.

\- You can go to the room now if you want, just be quiet, I'm going to sleep, I'm tired – he told her

\- Ok

She began walking towards the room

\- Hey, you don't have a girlfriend, do you? – she asked as she stopped and turned around to face him

He gave her a confused look.

\- If I had one you wouldn't be staying here, why?

\- Good, I just wanted to make sure – she said as she walked to the room - See you tomorrow

\- See you – he replied

He made sure she had closed the door, and immediately after ran outside the apartment with the bag still in his hands, he went to a near trash can and threw the bag in it. He wondered how long it would be before she noticed it.

Dante went inside the apartment again, took his coat off and sat on the small couch to take a nap, it was a very uncomfortable position to sleep in but it was either that or the floor, so he decided to just stay there and rest.

It hadn't been five minutes since he had closed his eyes that he heard the bedroom door being violently opened.

\- Where did you put them?! – He heard her yell

Dante opened his eyes irritated as he felt a slight hit in the arm. He wasn't expecting her to notice it that soon or to get that mad. He barely felt the hit but knew her intention was to hurt him.

\- Hey! There's no need to get aggressive. I'm doing you a favor

\- Give them back! – she was starting to look desperate

\- Calm down! Those things are going to kill you

\- So what?! I need them! – a sad look started to form on her face

\- No you don't, it's all in your head

\- You don't know a thing! – She said with tears forming in her eyes – months ago I was diagnosed with depression…and the drugs help me to feel better and… I can't sleep if I don't take them…

\- That's bullshit, you probably just feel lonely, I mean, don't you have any family or something?

She looked down shaking her head and let herself fall onto the other couch. She really didn't want to talk about her issues but that was maybe the only way he would understand and give her the drugs back.

\- My parents were killed years ago, I've been on my own since then – she answered to his question still looking down to the floor.

\- Well, I told you, my parents are dead too! We all go through shit in life... What do you even know about pain and suffering? Heck, my mother was murdered in front of me when I was seven! So stop being pathetic and get over it!

Dante thought the source of her depression and subsequent drug abuse was due to the fact that her family was murdered and that she felt alone in the world. He had gone through so much more in his life that it made him angry how she couldn't get her shit together.

Helena finally looked up at him with despair in her eyes.

\- What do I even know about pain and suffering? – her face was now covered in tears - You know nothing

\- I do! I've been through hell back and forth since I was kid, everyone I ever cared for ended up dying, and you're telling me you fell in this endless circle of drugs and depression because your family died years ago? It's time you get over it

She couldn't believe he was telling her those things. Why did he have to be so harsh with her? Why did he even care? After a few seconds of silence she finally spoke.

\- I got over the death of my parents a long time ago Dante

\- Then what is it? What is the "so bad" thing that happened to you that you have to rely on drugs to feel better? – he said in a very sarcastic tone

She truly hated to talk about it. The one thing that changed her whole life and ruined it. The thing that makes her feel miserable and worthless to that day, and doesn't let her sleep at night, the thing that turned her into a pathetic drug addict. But she had no choice but to tell him now.

\- Three months ago… I…I was assaulted and… raped by a group of men… they nearly killed me but… I wish they would have just done it…I wish I would have died there… – she started crying desperately as she remembered that horrific experience but kept talking – After that… I was diagnosed with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder… I couldn't sleep, every time I did I would have nightmares, reliving it over and over again…that's why I started with the drugs… I NEED them.

Dante was truly shocked to hear what she just said, and for the first time in a very long time he felt like a complete jerk, like a total heartless idiot and immediately regretted what he had said moments before.

 _Now you've really done it Dante._

\- I... I'm sorry – he tried to apologize – I had no idea… I'm an idiot…

\- Just shut up – she said as she tried to stop crying – I don't need your pity, I just need the drugs back

It all made sense now, her anxiety in crowded places, the lack of appetite, the drug abuse and why she didn't like being touched. Despite what she said, Dante couldn't help but feel really sorry for her. He wanted to do something to help her, and knew that regardless of her request, giving her the drugs back would do her no good in the long run.

\- I can't give you the drugs back, I'm sorry

\- Why not?! – she sounded desperate again

\- Because they will do you no good

\- Do you think I care?! Do you know how many times I've thought about killing myself in the past months?! But I'm such a coward that I'm just too scared to do it – she said as she started crying again

\- Killing yourself would be being a coward, not the opposite

\- Why do you even care so much?! – she asked in frustration almost yelling at him

Dante wasn't really sure of the answer to that question himself, but then realized it, this was the first time he had the chance to save someone, to make things differently, that was the same reason why he went after her when she ran away from his apartment earlier that day.

\- I didn't have the chance to save the ones I've lost before… I have the chance now

She really wasn't expecting someone like him to give such a deep answer. The problem was she thought she couldn't be saved anymore.

\- I'm sorry but… you can save me from the demons… but not from this – she said with resignation

\- The first night I met you, you thought the demons were a hallucination caused by the drugs, do you actually prefer that over your nightmares?

Helena nodded in response.

\- Demons haven't hurt me nearly as half as those men have – she said with bitterness

Her words and the pain in her eyes made Dante's heart sunk at that moment.

\- You know – she continued - the drugs help me to be calmed, not just to sleep, without them I feel terrified to even go out to the streets because I'm scared I will run into one of them again

\- What?! Run into them? – He asked in disbelieve - Haven't you gone to the police?

\- Of course I have! There was even a trial but… those men are part of a mafia, they just bribed the jury or the judge was too scared to do his job… - she felt the tears running down her cheeks again

Dante had heard about the whole mafia thing secretly controlling the city, but didn't know it was actually true.

\- It really sucks to hear that… - was all he could say

\- You don't know how it feels knowing the people that ruined your life are free as if nothing had happened, ignoring all the pain and suffering they put you through…

\- Yes I do – he said with sadness in his voice

She was surprised by Dante's answer, and for a second wondered what he was referring to, but at the time she didn't really care, she only wanted the drugs.

Despite what she believed, he knew that feeling very well, the impotence of not being able to do anything to make someone pay for what they did. In a way he knew how she felt, not too long before he would either drink himself to sleep or take tons of sleeping pills. This only made him want to help her more, so he started elaborating a plan in his head.

\- Just give me 24 hours – he finally said

\- What? – she sounded confused

\- If in 24 hours you still want the drugs I will give them back – he lied as he well knew that in 24 hours the garbage truck would have taken the drugs away for good.

She was so confused by what he was saying. Why on earth wouldn't she want the drugs in 24 hours?

\- Just try to sleep now, I will stay awake and will wake you up if I notice you are having a bad dream – he was hoping his plan would work

Helena didn't know what to answer

\- Come on! You will never know if you don't try – he broke the silence

\- But you said you were tired…

\- I'll be fine – he said as if it was nothing

\- Fine – she only agreed because she saw he was making a genuine effort to help, even if she thought it was useless

They walked to the room, he laid in the big couch next to the bed and she went to the bathroom to put on more comfortable clothes. Once she came out she laid in the bed.

\- Are you really just gonna stay there and watch me sleep?

\- Yeah – was all he said

\- Why are you doing this? I mean, I know you said this was your chance to save someone, but why? Why me? Why would you bother trying to save someone you don't even know?

\- If you had met a year ago, I honestly wouldn't have cared, and you probably would be dead by now – he admitted

\- What changed?

\- A lot of things – he just said, trying to evade the question

\- Like what? – she insisted

Just like her, he hated to talk about his personal things, but she had just opened up to him and told him something really personal and private to her, so he guessed he had to make an effort, but still he was not willing to give any details away.

\- I met someone who taught me to care about others and not just myself – there was a hint of sadness in his voice

\- That's sweet – she said assuming he was talking about a girl

Dante's last words reminded Helena of something.

\- Is that person the girl in the picture? – she asked referring to the photo she saw in the living room

He just stayed in silence, he knew exactly what picture she was talking about since it was the only photograph he had in the apartment, and he was just not going to talk about it.

\- Sleep – he simply ordered

She got a little angry because she had just told him the things that tormented her, and he just didn't want to talk about his personal things. It was not fair, so she decided to tease him a little.

\- So, since you met this person, you just go around helping grannies cross the street and rescuing cats from trees? – she asked in a mocking tone

Dante raised a brow in surprise for her reply, he wasn't planning on telling her about the dream he had the night he met her, but now she had provoked him.

\- The first night I met you I had a dream, it was about you, dead, dismembered by demons, the person I was talking about died in that way, I'm not going to let that happen again– he said in all seriousness

She was speechless to hear that, hoping he was just joking but unfortunately it didn't sound like a joke at all.

\- Way to go Dante, I will be able to sleep now – she finally said in a sarcastic tone

\- You started, and besides you said you preferred nightmares with demons – he said in a lighter tone

\- That's true

She was so tired from the extremely long day they had that she was actually falling asleep.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7:

 _She was walking home from a long day of work, it was very late at night, probably around midnight. This was not the first time she had finished a photo shoot that late. Being a model meant she sometimes had to shoot at very inconvenient hours, but she was already used to it. That day's location was relatively near her apartment so she thought it would be reasonable to walk home instead of calling a cab, not knowing that would be the biggest mistake of her life._

 _The streets were completely empty and quiet until she heard some noise, it sounded like people talking kind of loud but nothing out of the ordinary. When she turned the next corner she saw the source of the noise, there was a group of five men drinking on the street. It was dark so she couldn't see them very well, and decided to cross to the opposite side walk to avoid them, hoping they wouldn't notice her. Unfortunately they did notice her._

 _\- Hey gorgeous, where do you think you are going?! – one of them said loud enough for her to hear it_

 _She ignored him but started to get nervous so she began walking faster. Seeing she kept walking they started crossing the street too. When she noticed that she tried to run away from there but one of them grabbed her arm from behind and pulled her violently towards him._

 _\- Come on doll, don't be shy, we just want to have some fun – one of them said with a sly smile on his face_

 _\- Leave me alone! – she shouted as she tried to free herself from the man's grip_

 _The men started laughing and she saw how they started surrounding her. She started to cry in fear when she saw some of them had guns._

 _\- Please let me go – she begged_

 _\- I don't think so sweetie – another one said - You're going to be ours for the night_

 _It was at that moment she tried to scream for help, but the man that was holding her by the arm immediately covered her mouth with his other hand while one of the men that had a gun pulled it out and pointed it at her head._

 _\- I wouldn't do that if I were you – the man with the gun said smiling – We are gonna give that pretty mouth of yours a better use_

 _She was just paralyzed in fear._

 _\- Let's take her to the alley – another one of them said_

 _They began dragging her to the dark alley that was on that street. Despite having a gun pointed at her head she struggled and managed to kick one of them._

 _\- Fuck! You stupid bitch – he said in pain and as he recovered he punched her in the stomach_

 _She felt how the air escaped her lungs, and suddenly she couldn't breathe anymore. In a matter of seconds she found herself in the dirty small alley and felt how her clothes were being ripped off as tears ran down her face._

 _\- Hey! Helena! – She heard a new voice say and felt someone touching her shoulder and shaking her - Wake up!_

She opened her eyes in surprise and saw Dante standing next to the bed trying to wake her up.

\- Are you ok? – he asked concerned

She realized she actually had tears on her face and was shaking. At least he woke her up before the worst part.

\- Yes, thank you – she said as she sat up

\- Sorry I didn't wake you up before, it's kind of hard to tell when someone is having a bad dream

\- Don't worry, you woke me up just in time

Helena looked more calmed now but her look rapidly changed to disappointment.

\- I told you, it's useless, the only way I can sleep without nightmares is with the drugs

\- You know, a few months ago I used to have problems sleeping too, so I used to take sleeping pills

\- Really? – she asked in surprise

\- Well since I don't really get affected by human drugs I had to take tons of them, so I still have some around here – he said as he looked in one of the drawers of the nightstand next to the bed

It was around 2 am by that point and Dante actually had an idea, but for that he needed her to be completely asleep for the next three to four hours, that's why he decided to give her the pills.

\- Just take one for today, we don't want you to get addicted to these too – he said jokingly

\- Very funny Dante – she said sarcastically

She assumed Dante wanted to give her the pill so he could have some rest too, after all he had stayed awake like he said he would so she took the pill with no complains and waited for it to make effect.

Once he made sure she was completely asleep, he looked for something in the closet. After a few moments he found what he was looking for, a big paper stencil and a spray can, he was hoping it would still work. It had been a long time since those things were used.

He put the stencil in the middle of the room and sprayed it, a symbol was now painted on the floor and it began to glow. It was working. He saw how a thin, almost unperceivable layer started filling the room. It was a barrier that kept demons away, it would last a couple of hours. He had to leave so this was the only way he thought Helena would be safe alone.

He looked through her things and rapidly found her keys, now he was ready to go. He put on his coat and made his way out and into his motorcycle.

When he got to Helena's apartment he started looking in the mess that was left from the night before but didn't find what he was looking for. There had to be something somewhere in her apartment so he went into her room. In there he saw an envelope on the floor and thought that maybe it had the information he was looking for, but it only contained pictures. He took a look at them, it was her in a professional photo-shoot.

\- So she is a model – he said to himself

He really enjoyed looking at the pictures as she was just wearing a small swimsuit and looked stunningly beautiful. One thing that caught his attention was how happy and full of life she seemed. Her eyes had a beautiful shine to them and her smile, a smile he had never seen before since it wasn't like the ones she'd given him so far, was as radiant as the sun itself. Dante felt overwhelmed just by looking at that picture, and in that instant, a silly thought crossed his mind, Helena smiling like that… for him.

He immediately shook his head as the cruel reality began to sink in. She looked completely different now. Not that she wasn't beautiful anymore, she was, but now she looked as if she was just tired of living, the shine in her eyes completely gone, her smile now wasn't even a shadow of the real one and it was obvious she had lost a lot of weight. What was sadder was the fact that those pictures were taken just three months before. It was incredible how a single event could change someone's life that much. Now he was more determined than ever to complete his task.

Dante eventually found a locked drawer, he didn't have time to look for the key so he just forced it open and found a big file inside. That had to be it.

\- Jackpot – he muttered as he was sure that file contained the information he was looking for

And he was right, the file contained all the details of the trial she had against the men that assaulted her, their names, their addresses, their pictures, everything. But it also contained all the details of the assault itself, her testimony and what the doctors that treated her said.

Dante couldn't believe what he was reading. It said Helena was not only gang raped, but was basically tortured and humiliated just for their entertainment for around 6 hours. It said that she was raped and beaten to the brink of death and was almost killed when one of them began strangling her in the early hours of the morning but then they heard someone was coming and she heard them say they thought she was going to die from her injuries anyway so they decided to just run away and left her to bleed to death. One person, more specifically a delivery boy, that walked by the alley not long after found her unconscious and called an ambulance. That's how she survived.

The file also had the pictures used during the trial. Dante had seen pretty brutal stuff during his life but still the pictures made him cringe. They showed Helena's body covered in bruises and blood, they had hit her with a belt and cut her with a broken bottle so badly her whole torso was covered in scars.

He got furious by seeing this, he now understood why she acted like that, why she was so traumatized. He was determined to make them pay. He took the pages that contained their personal information and made his way out of the apartment.

Dante drove his motorcycle to the first address, it was not very far from there so he got there in around ten minutes.

He got off his bike and rang the bell, he didn't want to wake the neighbors so he discarded the idea of kicking the door down. Dante rang the bell impatiently until he heard someone was coming.

\- Who the fuck is it?! – a man's voice could be heard but he got no reply

Dante kept ringing until he finally opened the door.

\- Who the fuck are you? – The man said as he stared at the unknown guy standing on his door.

The demon hunter grinned because he was the one he was looking for, the guy from the picture. He was tall, buff and covered in tattoos. Anyone would consider him an intimidating man, but of course Dante was not anyone.

Without any warning, the son of Sparda punched him across the face, the guy was nearly knocked down, he felt like he had been hit with a hammer.

\- Do you think it's cool what you did? – Dante growled angrily

\- What are you talking about? – he replied confused

\- Do you think it's ok to rape and torture someone? – the demon hunter now looked furious

The guy simply started laughing.

\- Oh, you are here because of that slut? I know she's luscious, but I'm sure you have better things to fight for dude – he said as he recovered from the punch

Once he recovered, he tried to punch Dante but the demon hunter was much faster and stopped his fist midway and with his free hand hit him in his extended arm, the sound of bones breaking could be heard. The man screamed in pain as he held his broken arm.

\- What happened? You don't look so tough anymore – Dante said in a mocking tone

\- Wh… What the fuck do you want?! – he shouted

\- I want you to pay for what you did – the demon hunter replied turning serious

The man was becoming scared for the first time in a very long time

\- Who are you? – fear could be seen in his face

\- I'm the reason why you won't be able to sleep at night - an angry Dante replied

He punched the injured man again, this time knocking him to the floor. He kept on hitting him until the guy was left unconscious and his face was barely recognizable as it was all swollen and completely covered in blood. One side of Dante wanted to see the man dead but he decided not to kill him so he would wake up in pain and fear, besides that was not his choice to make.

Dante needed prove of what he had done so he took out his cellphone.

\- Smile for the picture asshole – he said as he photographed that bloody scene

After that, Dante went to the other four addresses and did the same thing, all of them ended like the first guy. By the time he was done and returned to his apartment it was around 6 am, the sun was already coming out and he was exhausted, it had been a crazy last 24 hours. He went into the bedroom to check on Helena, the spell was still there and she was still sleeping. He looked at the couch next to the bed, it looked so much more comfortable than the small couches in the living room.

 _I'm sure she won't mind…_

He took off his coat and his white tank top because it was covered in blood from the guys he just beat. Dante collapsed on the couch and immediately fell asleep.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8:

Helena woke up at around 10 a.m. a little confused as she didn't recognize the place she was in. After a few seconds she remembered everything that had happened in the past day and that she was not in her apartment anymore. She looked around and saw a shirtless Dante sleeping on the couch next to the bed. He truly had and amazingly perfect body, she had dated and worked with male models before but this guy was definitely something else. She appreciated the view for a few more seconds and decided it was better not to wake him up.

She got up and noticed a weird symbol in the middle of the room, she was sure that thing wasn't there the night before and wondered what it was, or what it meant, she was going to ask him once he woke up. She went to the bathroom to take a shower. When she came out she began feeling really sick, so she just laid again in the bed hoping it would just go away, but instead it got worse. After a few minutes she felt so sick she went running to the bathroom and threw up.

Dante was awakened with that noise a little irritated as he hated when people woke him up. But he soon realized what the noise was so he got up and knocked on the bathroom door.

\- Helena, are you ok? – he found himself asking that question way too many times when he was around her, but he couldn't help to feel worried

\- It's just the drug withdrawal I guess – she answered not sounding very good

He sighed in relief, he had forgotten humans could get that and he had panicked a little for a second thinking it was something else. After a few minutes she was feeling a little bit better, so she cleaned herself up and opened the bathroom door.

\- You look terrible – he said looking at her

\- Thanks Dante – she said sarcastically – this is your fault!

She pushed him away from the door and went to the bed and laid once again just wishing she would eventually feel better.

\- I got something to show you – he suddenly said

\- Not now Dante – she didn't sound interested at all

\- I'm going to tell you anyways, it's important

Helena rolled her eyes annoyed. All of this was his fault for hiding her drugs, she honestly couldn't wait for the 24 hours to be over.

\- When you were sleeping I went to your apartment

\- What?! - she said sitting up in surprise

\- Don't worry, I put a spell here so demons couldn't get in – he said pointing to the symbol on the floor

So that was what that symbol was, but at that moment she didn't care about the demons.

\- Why did you do that? – she felt like her privacy had been invaded

\- I found the file of your trial

\- What?! – she shouted angrily as she stood up

All of that was very private to her, she didn't want him to know all the details of what had happened to her, now she felt embarrassed.

\- You must be happy now Dante, now you know everything – she looked at him mad

\- Trust me, after seeing that the last thing I felt was happiness. Besides, I just wanted to know who did that to you

\- What for?

\- I paid them a visit – was all he said

She was so shocked to hear that, she didn't even know what to say, but her expression spoke for itself.

Dante pulled his cellphone out and showed her the first picture.

\- I beat them up

She quickly took the phone away from him to take a better look at what was in front her. The face in the picture was beaten so badly it was barely recognizable, but it was a face she had seen so many times in her nightmares there was no doubt in her mind it was one of the men that assaulted her.

\- There's more – Dante told her

She looked at him still in shock, not being able to believe what she was seeing as she went through the pictures and saw all five of them had been brutally beaten up.

\- Are they…? – she tried to ask nervously

\- No, they're not dead, but I can kill them if you ask me to – he said in all seriousness

\- No! Don't do that, I don't want to become like them. I don't want you to become like them

She had dreamt so many times of the day they would somehow pay for what they did to her that she couldn't hold back the tears. She was feeling so many things at that moment, such an overwhelming mix of emotions, that without thinking of what she was doing she just hugged Dante and began crying like a little child on his naked shoulder.

He was surprised by this and wasn't sure of how to react. He didn't like to see women crying per se, and in this case, Helena's cry was so filled with pain that he not only hated it, he felt his heart cracking and knew he would have done anything for her to stop feeling that way. But the only thing he could do at the moment was try to console her. He remembered she didn't like being touched so he decided to play it safe and just lightly patted her on the back.

\- It's ok, you can start healing now – he said as he thought that finally she could have a closure to that horrible experience

She kept on crying, letting it all out. It was incredible how someone she had just met had done more for her than anyone else had ever done in her life. Dante was actually the only one that had really cared for her when everyone else she knew had turned their backs on her.

After a few more minutes she tried to calm down and she let go of him and looked at him deeply into his blue eyes.

\- Thank you

Not because of the beating, but for actually caring and doing something about it, for trying to get her out that horrible dark place she was in. And that was probably the most sincere "Thank You" Dante had ever heard in his life.

\- It was nothing. I know it's hard, but you have to be strong and get over it, otherwise you'll be letting them win – he resisted the urge to embrace her again

She knew Dante was right, she had to get over this. She couldn't keep living like that.

Helena nodded, and thought for a moment.

\- You can throw them away, the drugs. I don't want to be like this for the rest of my life - she was about to cry again

\- Good, because I already did, I was never planning on giving them back – he said with his hands resting behind his head looking somewhat relieved

She looked surprised, for a second she was about to get mad at him for throwing her stuff without her permission but deep inside she knew he did the right thing.

\- Thanks – she said again with a slight smile on her face

\- How are you feeling? – he asked remembering that she was feeling sick moments ago

\- A little better, but still not great

\- Try to rest, it will eventually go away

Helena obeyed and laid in the bed again, Dante did the same on the couch, he wanted to sleep some more. It had been a tiring night for him.

Minutes passed and Helena was thinking about all the things that had happened since she met Dante, it had only been one day and a half, but still so many things had occurred. Then she remembered something she wanted to ask him the day before.

\- Hey Dante, what is the limit to your healing factor?

He had his eyes closed but was still awake. He thought the question was interesting as he was not sure of the answer himself, but still got irritated because she was not letting him rest.

\- I don't know – he said opening his eyes and sounding annoyed

She realized he was annoyed by her question and that he probably was tired so she didn't reply.

\- What I do know is that it gets better over time – he finally said

\- How's that?

\- Years ago it would take me around 5 minutes to heal a bullet wound, now, as you saw, it only takes about 30 seconds.

\- That is amazing! – she said impressed

\- I know I am – he gave her his typical arrogant smile

Helena smiled back, she liked him when he was in a good mood, and even if he was an arrogant guy he had showed her he was a good person.

\- And what is the worst injury you've managed to heal? – she asked out of curiosity

He thought about it for a moment and remembered that time he actually thought he was going to die.

\- I almost got my heart ripped out once. Remember I told you about Mundus? Well, he nearly killed me that time.

\- Woow that sounds painful – she replied amazed - and how did you escape?

Dante's expression changed, she had already seen that face before, at the restaurant.

\- My brother saved me – he said clenching his teeth and looking disgusted by his own words

She was right, it was the same expression he had made at the restaurant, an expression full of hate and rage, one that he would make every time his twin brother was mentioned. This time she couldn't help it and decided to ask.

\- Why do you hate him so much? You just said he saved your life

\- He was only using me, he wanted me alive to defeat Mundus so he could take his place

\- Take his place as the new Demon emperor?

\- Yes, he never really cared about humans, he just wanted power

Helena could tell that Dante wasn't telling everything.

\- That's not why you hate him

Dante remained silent for a second wondering how she knew but decided to just ignore her comment and closed his eyes again pretending to sleep.

She assumed that his silence meant she was right, so she kept on asking.

\- Where is he now?

\- If I knew, he would be dead – he replied with his eyes still closed

\- He has done something terrible to you, hasn't he? Something you don't want to tell me

He just remained silent still wondering how the hell she knew.

\- And you are angry because he is free, like nothing had happened, ignoring all the pain he put you through – she kept talking, repeating the words she had said the night before referring to her attackers.

After a few seconds of silence he finally replied

\- I guess we have that thing in common too – he said, acknowledging that everything she had said was true

She remembered when he said he knew that feeling very well, it all made sense now, he was referring to his brother, he had done something horrible and now Dante wanted revenge. She also remembered that Dante mentioned he used to have problems sleeping too, that probably also had to do with what his brother had done. It was then that she realized that despite trying to appear like a cool, laid back guy Dante was a broken person, just like her, and he also was in pain and suffering. The only difference was that he didn't want to show it.

\- Are you ever going to tell me what he did?

\- Maybe one day, but not now – he said as he closed his eyes once again wanting to sleep

She looked at him founding amazing how at times he would be a really nice guy and at times he would just act all tough and like he didn't care at all, how one moment he wanted to make jokes and the next second he was all serious again. She guessed it was his demon and angel side having a war inside his head, probably a Nephilim thing.

The rest of the day was very uneventful. Helena felt sick almost the entire day, while Dante basically slept all the time, only waking up to shower and order pizza.

\- Are you sure you don't want some? – he asked offering her a slice of his favorite food

\- I don't feel good

\- Great, more for me – he said jokingly – I can't believe you don't like pizza

She did like it, actually it was one her favorite things to eat, but in the past months her appetite had basically disappeared and all the food seemed tasteless to her.

\- I do like it, I'm just not hungry

That reminded him of something

\- You know, when I was in your apartment I saw some pictures of you, I didn't know you were a model

\- Yeah, whatever – she said not giving importance to his comment

\- I haven't seen you smile like that, not really…

Helena just remained silent, it was true, she hadn't had a reason to truly smile in a long while.

\- You should do it more often – he continued and a smirk appeared on his face as he remembered the pictures - You looked good – Good was understatement but he didn't want to make her uncomfortable by using a stronger word - I'm not talking just about the smile, I mean everything

She looked at him surprised and couldn't help blushing.

\- Uhm… Thanks… too bad I can't do those kinds of pictures anymore

\- Why not?

\- My body is full of scars Dante – she said looking a little sad

\- Oh… that's a shame…

\- It's ok, I'll find another job

\- Yeah like going to the Olympics for shooting – he said as a joke

She laughed. It was the first time he heard her laugh, and for some reason he just loved the sound of it.

\- So, anyway, I'm guessing you stopped eating after what happened, as a man let me tell you, you looked a lot better before – he said referring to her evident weight loss.

Helena remained silent trying to hide the blush that was on her cheeks again.

\- Fine, I'll have the stupid pizza – she finally said standing up

She wasn't sure why all of a sudden his opinion mattered so much, all she knew at that moment was that she was going to get her life back and try to be just like before.

He just had his typical smirk on his face.

\- Wipe that smile off your face, I'm not eating because of what you said, I just got hungry – she lied as she grabbed a slice of pizza

\- Yeah right - he said with the grin still on his face not believing her at all

When it was night time Dante stood up from the couch and walked towards the door.

\- I'll go to sleep, good night – he said

\- You can stay if you want – she replied

Dante looked at her surprised, the truth was he really didn't want to sleep on the uncomfortable couches in the living room, but thought she wouldn't want him to stay in the same room as her all night.

\- Are you sure you don't mind? – he asked to make sure

\- No, as long as you don't snore – she said smiling

\- I don't – he smiled back


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9:

Helena woke up the next morning feeling a lot better, she was actually surprised because she thought she would feel sick for a couple of more days. But she was more surprised because of the dream she had that night. It started the way all her nightmares did, with her walking home alone in the middle of the night, then seeing the group of men drinking and then being surrounded by them, but this time was different. This time, just before one of them could pull his gun out, something happened. They simply started falling to the pavement, unconscious. Only when all of them were on the floor did she realize someone had attacked them. She saw the silhouette of her savior in the shadows of the dark street, his back was turned to her but then he turned his head slightly and the only thing she could distinguish was the arrogant smirk on his face… and that was it, she couldn't remember anything else.

She noticed Dante was still sleeping, as usual. He was a very lazy guy for being so fit. By that time, she already knew he hated when someone woke him up so she silently went to the bathroom to take a shower. When she came out she was expecting Dante to be still sleeping but found him awake and talking on his cellphone.

\- Sure, I'll take care of it – she heard him say to whoever he was talking to

After a few more seconds of talking he hung up and looked at her.

\- I have a job to do tonight

\- A job? – she asked surprised

\- Yeah a job, it's the thing you do to make money – he said faking amazement

She immediately felt dumb for asking that question. The fact that he was a Nephilim didn't mean he didn't have to work like everyone else, after all he needed money to eat all the pizza he ate.

\- Too bad you cannot get paid for killing demons – she said as a joke

\- I got paid once – he said

\- What? I thought you said you and I were the only ones that could see them

\- Uhm…yes and no

Helena gave him a puzzled look

\- What does that mean?

\- Remember I told you some demons could take human form? Well, powerful demons can actually come to the human world and disguise themselves as humans, like Mundus or my father. But then after I defeated Mundus one door that connected hell with this world collapsed, so some of the weak demons managed to cross it. Limbo city got infested with demons, so I had to hunt and kill all of them. One time I saved a rich lady that paid me lots of cash for killing the demon that was after her. Once I killed them all I moved to this city and bought this place with the money.

Helena was really impressed with Dante's story and couldn't help but wonder where the rest of that cash went.

\- And you spent the rest of the money on pizza and booze right?

\- Yeah pretty much – he said convinced the said investment was worth it

She facepalmed and laughed, this guy literally spent all his money on pizza and now that he has no money left he has to work like any human again.

\- You know, if I could charge for killing demons like I did that time, I'd be rich – he said proudly with his hands behind his head.

\- Yeah sure, and what exactly do you do for living now? – she asked teasing him

\- Well, if someone sees something suspicious or a crime, but they don't want to call the police, they can call me – he said arrogantly

\- So… you basically get paid to intimidate and beat people up

\- Call it what you want, at least I do something, not just stand there waiting for someone to take a picture of me – he said making fun of her former job

\- Whatever, and who do you have to beat up today?

\- I'm not beating anyone up today, I'm going to investigate. The owner of a near bar called me, he said he has been seeing a suspicious man this last few days in his bar. Every night this man leaves with a different girl, one of this girls was the waitress of the bar, she never returned.

\- Sounds like a serial killer – she said suddenly amused

\- It could be

\- That is soooo cool! – she said excited as she liked detective stories a lot

He gave her a puzzled look

\- You're weird, you know that?

\- Look who's talking, the guy that's not human and sleeps and eats pizza all day – she said jokingly

Dante smiled, he still didn't know why but he really liked seeing her happy.

\- Well if you think it's cool, it's your lucky day because you are coming with me

She hadn't thought of that part yet, the fact that she thought Dante's job investigating a serial killer was cool didn't mean she was excited to have an encounter with the serial killer herself.

\- It'll be fine – he said nonchalant

\- Ok… - she was still a little concerned as she didn't have a good feeling about it

That night they left the apartment and made their way to the bar. Dante could tell she was still nervous about going outside but had at least made an improvement.

\- Relax

\- I'm trying – she said genuinely making an effort to calm herself down

Dante thought for a brief moment

\- Give me your hand – he said extending his right hand

\- What? – she asked confused

\- Just do it

She obeyed and put her hand over his. He grabbed her hand and held it tightly.

\- Listen, you are not alone anymore, I won't let anything bad happen to you – he reassured her

Suddenly she was no longer nervous about the people on the street but was nervous because of him and she could feel she was blushing. And the truth was Dante did that on purpose, he thought that maybe if she concentrated on something else, like him, she would just forget about the people on the street, and he was right, it seemed to work, which made him smile to himself.

Once they arrived to the bar Dante greeted the owner.

\- You must be Fred, I'm Dante

\- I'm so glad you came, you are just in time, the man I told you about is ri… - he stopped talking when he realized Dante was not alone but with a girl

Fred stared at Helena confused as the man he hired never mentioned anything about coming with anyone else. She just smiled nervously at him.

\- Oh uhm… this is Helena, she is… my… assistant – Dante said improvising

\- Oh I see, nice to meet you – Fred greeted her – I was telling you the man is right there

They turned and looked at a man seated in one corner, he was talking to a girl. He had a black coat and a hat that covered his face from that angle.

\- Ok, we'll wait here until he leaves – Dante said as he sat

Helena did the same

\- So, tell me about the waitress, she simply disappeared? – the demon hunter asked

\- Yes, after leaving with him two days ago, and she won't answer the phone, she has worked here for years and has never done anything like that

\- She's probably dead – Helena said bluntly

Fred's face showed complete horror when he heard that. Dante lightly kicked Helena under the table and stood up.

\- Ouch! – she complained more out of surprise than actual pain

\- Don't listen to her, she's just joking – Dante told the man giving a severe look at his "assistant" – I'll do anything I can to bring her back safe

The owner of the bar looked more calmed hearing that.

\- I'll leave it to you – he said as he took some bills from his pocket and gave them to Dante – I'll give you the other half when you do the job

Dante put the money in his wallet as Fred left them alone.

\- What was that for? – she asked irritated

\- You don't tell a client their friend is dead! Even if you know they are. What if he only wants to hire me if the waitress is alive?

She rolled her eyes.

\- You are a scammer Dante, you know she is dead

\- Whatever – he replied – I'm still doing the job, so technically it is not a scam

They waited for about an hour until the man decided to leave the bar, of course accompanied by the girl he was talking to. Dante and Helena followed them, making sure they wouldn't be noticed. The couple kept walking until they went into an empty warehouse which was already a clear sign that the suspicious man was up to no good.

Dante stopped at the entrance and carefully looked inside, Helena was behind him but since she was tall, at around 5'9", she could look at the scene over his shoulder. The couple seemed to be simply talking, but all of a sudden the man started to convulse while a demonic laugh echoed throughout the warehouse. Dante and Helena couldn't believe their eyes when they saw the man transforming into a big bug shaped creature, he was a demon, and a powerful one since it was not a demon from Limbo but it was in the real world. The woman that was with him started screaming.

The reason why Dante was so shocked was because he had been living in that city for nearly eight months and hadn't seen a demon in the human world before.

Once he got over the initial shock Dante felt excited for the first time in a very long time, it had been a while since he had fought one of these big demons and he simply loved that kind of adrenaline.

 _Well, this is my type of job_

\- Hey you! Ugly piece of shit! – the demon hunter shouted as the monster turned to look at him

The distraction was long enough for the woman to run and scape. Dante pulled Ivory out of its holster.

\- Go hide behind those boxes – he told Helena as he gave her the gun just in case

She just nodded nervously and ran where she was told to hide. The demon looked at her and a wicked smile formed in its face.

\- What you're smiling at?! – Dante asked angrily

\- She is the one – the monster said more to himself than answering the question

Dante looked back at the boxes where Helena was hiding, this demon was one of the strong ones and he was after her too. Something serious was going on, but he didn't have the time to think about it at the moment, he just wanted to fight the demon and maybe later he would force it to tell him everything.

Rebellion appeared on Dante's back, just like every time he needed it.

\- I'll wipe that stupid smile off your face – he said with the sword already in his hand ready to attack

Helena couldn't help but watch the fight from her hiding place. The demon was pretty big, almost four times as tall as Dante and looked more like a huge bug than a typical demon, but it had big blades on the ends of its legs. She saw in horror and shock as the demon tried to attack Dante with a ball of something than came out of its mouth, Dante easily dodged it, and realized that the ball was actually a substance like acid that completely melted the floor where it landed.

After a few minutes of fighting it became pretty obvious that the Son of Sparda was going to win. Dante was ready to give the final blow when he heard someone laughing and it was not the demon in front of him, it was a human voice.

\- You won't be able to protect her Dante – he heard the voice say behind him

He knew that voice very well…

 _Vergil_

Dante quickly turned around expecting to find his brother but saw no one. It was then that he realized the voice was inside his head, probably Vergil was using one of his tricks, and he spoke again.

\- Just like you couldn't prote…

\- Shut up! – Dante shouted interrupting the voice

He knew what Vergil was going to say and he didn't want to hear it, but it was too late. Dante's mind was already wandering around those memories he wished he would just forget. He started feeling that pain in his chest he would always feel every time he remembered that moment. After all that time he still felt tormented by those memories.

Dante's thoughts where abruptly interrupted when he felt an indescribable pain in the left side of his face. He groaned in pain and dropped Rebellion to the floor as he tried to wipe that substance away from his face, but the burning pain only seemed to extend to his hands.

Helena couldn't believe Dante just got hit in the face with that acid, she didn't know why he got distracted but it was obvious that the demon was going to take advantage of that. She saw in shock how the demon was ready to attack him again.

\- Dante watch out! – she tried to warn him

But it was useless, the demon was fast and Dante was still lost in thought and in so much pain he didn't even listen to her warning. Helena watched in dismay how the demon impaled Dante around his collarbone with one of his big blades.

She covered her eyes, she couldn't keep watching that, and didn't understand what was wrong with Dante. He seemed out of place and wasn't really fighting anymore.

Dante's mind wasn't in that abandoned warehouse anymore but had gone to that cold rainy night he saw Vergil on the street...

 _He was driving his bike home after a job he had to do that night and saw a figure that caught his eye on the street, just outside the building where he lived, it was just standing there, as if waiting for someone. When he got close enough he just froze in surprise, it was his brother, that was the first time he saw Vergil since the day they fought after defeating Mundus, but there was something different about him, Dante could see evil in his icy blue eyes and he had a malicious grin on his face…_

 _What have you done Vergil?_

The demon started laughing and Helena uncovered her eyes and saw that the monster was about to behead the impaled Dante.

She didn't even have the time to think, in a matter of a second she just stood up, and aimed, hoping she would get this one shot right. She pulled the trigger and the bullet impacted the demon right in the eye, stopping his otherwise imminent attack and making him grunt in pain. But more than hurting him Helena had pissed the demon off as he now had his attention on her and began approaching her.

The noise brought Dante back to reality as he realized he had a huge blade going through his collarbone and that the demon was going towards Helena. Now he was pissed. He felt this huge amount of energy going through his veins and felt how his demon side was taking over him, he devil triggered. In a blink of an eye he took the blade out of his body, picked up Rebellion from the floor and beheaded the demon with a quick swipe of his sword. For a brief second his eyes met Helena's.

She was scared and speechless because she didn't see the Dante she knew in those bloodshot demonic eyes, she saw someone else. Fortunately, he went back to normal and collapsed on the floor. She ran towards him worried because of his dreadful injuries.

\- Oh my god Dante!

She was horrified to see Dante's left side of his face, it was completely disfigured, all the skin on that side had practically melted and was just a mass of blood and molten flesh, not no mention he had a huge, nasty wound on his collarbone.

\- I'm fine – he lied

He felt like shit.

\- Dante…you..you are not healing – she looked totally worried and about to cry when she noticed he wasn't healing like he did the time she shot him in the arm.

He was fearing to hear that…

\- That acid thing had poison in it. I will heal, it'll just take longer…- he noticed her face of pure horror - Is it that bad?

She just nodded in response.

He could barely stand up but did it anyways and walked to a small puddle of water to take a look at his face. It looked worse than he thought.

\- Great – he muttered sarcastically – I look like a freak now

He sat on the floor to recover for a while.

\- Dante… what was that at the end?

\- What? – he asked bluntly, it was obvious something was bothering him

\- You looked… different

\- It's called devil trigger, it's just the demon side taking over my body, it only happens when I get really angry

\- But… you are still you on the inside, right?

\- I guess – he wasn't sure of his own answer as he usually didn't remember much of what happens while he is in devil trigger.

The amount of rage he typically feels while in that state sometimes is so much that he cannot control it, and therefore he cannot control himself, and that was what just happened as he totally forgot about keeping the demon alive and force him to tell him why he was after Helena.

She really wasn't satisfied with his answer but decided to forget about it for now. She also noticed that almost all of his hair was now silver white, meaning that was the reason for his peculiar hair color.

After a few minutes she was a little relieved to see Dante looked somewhat better. It was true, he was healing, just a lot slower. He had lost so much blood from the wounds that his once white tank top was now crimson red. She wanted to ask him how he felt, if he was truly ok, but he seemed mad and lost in thought.

\- I know who's behind all of this, who is after you – he finally said looking serious

\- Who? – she asked surprised

\- My brother, Vergil, that piece of shit – he said clenching his teeth

\- What?! How do you know?

\- I heard his voice while I was fighting, that's why I got distracted

\- I didn't hear anything… - she said wondering why Dante was the only one that heard him - What did he say?

Dante looked at her for a couple of seconds remembering Vergil's words: "You won't be able to protect her".

\- I couldn't tell – he lied

Helena realized he was lying but decided that it was not the right moment to insist as Dante truly looked distressed about whatever his brother had told him.

\- I don't even know him, why would he be after me?

\- I don't know – he said frustrated – We better get going

He stood up and put his hood on so people on the streets wouldn't notice his still disfigured face. The poison was really making him feel bad, the only thing he wanted to do was to go home and get some sleep.

While they were walking he noticed she kept staring at him, for the first time since he met her she didn't seem nervous to be on the streets, more than anything she looked worried for him.

\- Do you have a crush on me or something? - Even when he tried to make a joke he still looked and sounded like he was in a bad mood.

\- Don't be stupid, I'm just worried

\- So, are you gonna stare at me the whole way? I told you, I'm fine

\- Don't lie, you look terrible

\- Whatever… by the way, don't ever do that again – he scolded her

\- Do what?

\- Risk your life like that. That demon was after you. I told you to hide not fight him – he said in a severe tone

\- But he was going to kill you!

\- No he wasn't – he said as if the sole idea of that demon defeating him was absurd

\- Are you kidding me? It was as if you were just waiting to die there

\- I got distracted for a second that's all, otherwise I would have easily killed it.

She rolled her eyes, he was beginning to piss her off, a little gratitude would be nice, after all she basically saved his life, but Dante was evidently not in a good mood, finding out his brother was the one behind everything had clearly bothered him.

But the truth was he not only felt troubled by what Vergil told him, he also felt furious at himself, his mistake almost got them killed, or captured in Helena's case, and it was all Vergil's fault.

Once they arrived home he collapsed on the couch without saying a word. He didn't even took his coat or his boots off. Helena stared at him feeling sorry.

 _It must very difficult for him, wanting to kill the only family he has left, and now I'm in the middle of that feud, great… if Dante is the good twin I don't even want to get to know the evil one._


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10:

\- Interesting… – he muttered as he watched his brother being impaled by the bug demon through one of his portals – apparently all I needed to kill Dante was mess with his mind a little

Vergil snickered amused at the scene unfolding before him, he never thought killing Dante would be so easy, without him there wouldn't be anyone on his way, he would finally become the ruler of both humans and demons.

But his expression turned serious when he saw the demon's attack was interrupted, giving Dante the opportunity to devil trigger and come off victorious.

\- Sir, why didn't you go after the girl? This was the perfect chance – one of his subjects said

\- There's no need to hurry, I still have to decipher the last part of the manuscript and I don't want to deal with Dante while I'm still doing research.

\- I see… and what else is needed?

\- Besides from the girl, there's two more keys… - he said placing his hand on his chin

 _The two remaining keys lie within my heart…_

Vergil remembered that line from the manuscript his own father Sparda had written _._ He then proceeded to close the portal he was using to spy on Dante and left to continue with his investigation, there were more secrets surrounding their family than he and Dante knew at the time.

* * *

The morning after the fight, when Helena woke up she was surprised to see Dante was nowhere in sight. It was the first time he woke up before her, she was amazed of how well she could sleep now; there was this thing about Dante that made her feel safe and protected to the point she no longer had night terrors.

Suddenly, the bathroom door opened and an almost naked Dante came into the room. He had just taken a shower and was only wearing a towel wrapped around his waist.

\- I almost came out naked thinking you were still sleeping – he said sounding amused as he walked to the closet – that would have been quiet the scene…

She couldn't help but stare at him for a couple of seconds, she was getting a little nervous seeing him like that so she just shook her head trying to simply ignore it. She then remembered what had happened the night before and sighed in relief seeing Dante was back to his old handsome self.

\- I'm glad you are ok now

\- Yeah me too, can you believe someone tried ruining this face? – he said faking indignation

\- What a crime, isn't it? – she said playing along while laughing

\- Yeah – he said as he chuckled too

Helena then noticed the symbol on his back, it looked like a tattoo. It caught her attention at first because it was very similar to the symbol on the necklace she always wore, but while Dante's had a sword in it, hers had something that looked more like an arrow pointing down. Nevertheless, she didn't pay much attention to it because she thought that given his favorite weapon was his sword it would be reasonable that he had it tattooed and her necklace was just that, a simple necklace with no big story behind it.

\- How did you sleep? – she said breaking the silence

\- Uhm… not very good actually

\- Because of the poison?

\- Not really

\- Then?

He stayed in silence for a second

\- You are not the only one that has nightmares – he said looking at her

She just stayed in silence thinking about what he said, wondering what a guy like him could possibly have nightmares about, it perhaps had to do with his brother and what he told him the night before. She was about to ask him about it, but he had already locked himself in the bathroom to get dressed. Something told her he did that on purpose so she couldn't ask him about his dream.

That day they went to have lunch to the same restaurant as the first day. For the first time in a while Helena felt hungry and couldn't wait to get to the restaurant.

\- Come on Dante! Hurry up! Walk faster

\- You truly are hungry, aren't you? – he said happily surprised

\- Yes! I' going to eat a full pizza, and ice cream, and… - she said exited almost sounding like a child

\- Woow – he said impressed – I thought models didn't eat that much

She laughed at his remark.

\- Well, I'm not your typical model

\- I like that – he replied with his typical half smile

She turned to look somewhere else so she wouldn't blush, there was something about that smirk that would always make her nervous, in a good way.

When they got to the restaurant Helena was expecting the same waitress to come to their table to attend her favorite customer, but instead another one came, and yes she also seemed to have a crush on the demon hunter.

\- Hi Dante! – She greeted with a flirtatious look on her face - let me guess, a big pizza with no olives and just water, right?

\- Yeah – he said this time at least looking at the waitress, he was evidently in a better mood than last time

\- And you? – the waitress asked Helena clearly annoyed to see Dante with someone

\- I'll have the same please, oh and a strawberry sundae – she said smiling at the waitress

Dante couldn't help but smile at Helena because she finally seemed to have a normal appetite, it was not the healthiest of foods, but it was a start.

The waitress annoyance however only seemed to increase when she saw him smiling at the girl sitting in front of him as most of the time he was a pretty serious guy. Besides, it had been months since Dante last came to eat with a girl, he used to be always accompanied by another girl, but one day he simply started coming alone and completely drunk, and then only alone. Remembering that made the waitress wonder what could have happened to that other girl…

She left the table with that thought still in her head and immediately came back with the drinks.

\- Your meal will be ready very soon – the waitress said winking at him

Dante just nodded once to let her know he had heard her but just like the other time, with the other waitress, he didn't seem to care about her flirtations at all.

\- Oh my god… - Helena muttered annoyed once the waitress left

Dante just shrugged.

\- It's not my fault! I can't help it!

\- You know, it must very hard being your girlfriend Dante, with all the girls coming at you like that

\- Maybe that's why I've only had one

Helena raised a brow in disbelief

\- You've only had one girlfriend? – she said raising her index finger emphasizing on the low number

He nodded.

\- Don't get me wrong, I've slept with tons of girls, but I've only been in one serious relationship

\- Of course you have, you are _that_ type of guy… and what happened? Let me guess, you cheated on her – she said sure that because of the way he carried himself he couldn't be a faithful man, but she was wrong

Dante's expression rapidly turned sad, as if remembering something really painful

\- She died – he said looking down

 _Oh God Helena you just fucked up…_

\- I'm so sorry Dante! I didn't mean to be rude… – she tried to apologize since he truly seemed wretched about the memory of that girl

\- Whatever – he simply said trying to forget about it – What about you? How's your love life?

He really wasn't interested to know her answer, he was beginning to feel that pain in his chest again so he just wanted to change the subject to clear his mind. Helena was not only surprised by his question but also at how good he was at pretending nothing had happened because his expression soon went from gloomy to his usual serious one.

\- My love life? Not very good… - she said looking down, now she was the one with the sad expression - My last boyfriend dumped me after I was raped…

Dante almost choked with the water he was drinking.

\- What?! – He asked after coughing a couple of times - What a fucking jerk!

 _And people think I am a jerk, jeez…_

He then noticed Helena had a couple of tears on her face.

\- Hey don't cry! Not for that asshole – he tried to calm her down

She slowly wiped the tears away and nodded, she knew he was right, it just wasn't worth it.

\- I can beat him up too if you want – Dante wasn't exactly sure why but he really wanted to knock the guy's teeth out, the idea making him smile

Helena actually found his suggestion funny and laughed a little.

\- No thanks – she said giving him a slight smile

 _Damn it_

He was really hoping she would say yes.

She found it curious how a couple of days ago, if someone had asked her about her ex-boyfriend she would have probably cried her heart out, but now that Dante asked, she just didn't feel that sad anymore, everything simply seemed to be better around him.

 _Oh no that sounds like I am… no no no Helena it can't be, you can't like this guy… for him you are just a random girl he decided to help, that's all, he would have done the same for anyone else._

Helena tried to shake off her thoughts and to convince herself that she only wanted him as a friend and nothing else.

It was at that time that the waitress finally brought their food and noticed Helena looked like she had cried so she couldn't help but smile since she thought the couple were having a fight.

\- If you need anything else Dante just call me ok? – the waitress told him winking at him again before leaving

Helena rolled her eyes, irritated by the waitress's insistence.

\- Don't give me that look, I haven't done anything… - Dante tried to explain, but Helena didn't look convinced at all - Ok, I may have flirted with the waitresses here a couple of times, but I was probably drunk at the time…

\- Only flirted? – she asked still looking skeptical

\- Fine, I may have slept with them one or two times…

Helena just looked at him dumbfounded

\- But again, I was drunk, so it doesn't count – he said in his defense

\- And you dare to come regularly to the place they work at?! – She said sounding mad – How can you be so cynical?!

He just shrugged

\- The pizza is good here – he said innocently

\- You are unbelievable… - she looked furious at him

\- Like I said, I was drunk, and I also was kind of depressed at the time so I wasn't really thinking straight… Besides, I don't know why you get mad, I'm sure you get a lot of attention yourself

Not even she knew why she was getting mad at him, it was his life, and he could do whatever he wanted with it.

\- Yeah I used to, but thankfully for me, men won't come close because you are with me, you are kind of intimidating

\- Thanks - he said smiling

\- It was not a complim… forget it – she really didn't want to talk to him anymore

 _See Helena? That's why you don't want to fall for this guy, he is an idiot…_

They remained in silence while they ate until Dante remembered he wanted to talk to her about something very important.

\- On a more serious matter, I have the feeling there's something you are not telling me – he said looking at her straight to the eyes

\- Something like what? – she looked at him confused

\- If Vergil is after you, then it means there's something serious going on, he wouldn't just be after any random human girl

\- I swear I have no idea why your stupid brother is after me. I told you, I don't even know the guy

\- Well, you can start by telling me about that necklace – he said pointing at the mentioned jewelry

She looked down to take a look at it, thinking he was intrigued by it because of the resemblance to his "tattoo".

\- I think I already told you the night I met you it was my mother's

\- Yeah but… tell me more! – he was beginning to feel frustrated

Helena thought for a brief moment and then shrugged

\- I don't know anything else about it, my mother gave it to me before she was murdered, that's all

\- Who killed her?

\- I don't know

\- Was someone after her?

\- Uhm… I don't know…

\- But she knew she was going to be killed, that's why she gave you the necklace just before that happened, right?

\- I guess…

Dante's face showed pure and utter frustration

\- You guess?! – he pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath trying to calm himself down - Look, if you don't tell me everything you know, I won't be able to help you

\- I don't remember Dante! I was only six and I can barely remember my parents! – she said nearly shouting

He just froze as that story sounded kind of familiar.

\- Don't tell me you lost your memory and you were told you had meningitis or some shit like that – he asked in shock

\- What?! No! I do remember my childhood and my parents, its normal you don't remember things that happened in the first years of your life, I just… sometimes feel there's some blank spaces…things that I should remember from my childhood but I can't… important things.

\- Oh – he said sighing in relief as her story wasn't actually like his – So, what do you remember about the day your mother gave you the necklace?

Helena closed her eyes trying really hard to remember that day, it was difficult for her as many of the blank spaces she was talking about came from that precise night.

\- I lived with my parents, we were at our house that night, and I think someone broke in, so my dad went downstairs to check out…. my mother took me to the attic and told me everything was going to be alright… it was as if she knew something like that was going to happen, the previous two weeks she had been acting weird... now that I remember… it was after we received the visit from someone that she began acting weird… being twice as cautious, things like that… then she told me something else, I can't remember what, and then she took off the necklace and gave it to me telling me it was very important and that I should never lose it… then… for some reason she… cut her finger with a small knife and lightly pressed her fingertip against my forehead while she said something… I believe it was in another language… and then she told me to hide in a little room we had in the attic and… I think I passed out because I can't remember anything else about that day, the only thing I know is that my parents were killed that night.

\- When you woke up you found them dead?

\- No, I was woken up by policemen, I was still there in the little room in the attic, they had already taken the bodies and I remember them saying it was a miracle that whoever broke into my house hadn't found me.

\- They never found the killer?

\- No…

Helena now understood the necklace meant something but she couldn't remember what her mother had told her, it was as if someone had intentionally taken those pieces of memories out of her mind, and if Dante's brother wanted the necklace then it meant it had something to do with the demons, but she didn't recall her mother ever mentioning or acknowledging their existence.

Dante found the story weird, what Helena's mother did definitively sounded like she was casting a spell, but with the little information he had it was difficult to tell, besides he was no expert on the subject.

\- Do you know if your mother was a medium? – he finally asked

\- A medium? No… she never mentioned anything about that or demons…

He was really confused about the whole thing, every time he seemed to be closer to the truth, more mystery began to surround her, his only option was to keep asking and try to get as much information as he could.

\- Do you remember why the necklace was important?

\- No, sorry…

\- You said your mother started acting weird after you received the visit from someone, who?

\- I… I don't remember… I told you, I feel like someone purposely made me forget some things…

Dante was doing his best to try and be patient with her, he knew it wasn't her fault, but still he was starting to feel exasperated.

\- You didn't have any more family?

\- No

\- And your childhood with your parents was normal?

\- Yes…

\- Nothing weird?

\- No

\- You had never seen a demon before all of this?

\- No! – she was also getting frustrated with Dante's endless questions

\- You are not very helpful you know? – He finally said – I can't fucking understand why would Vergil be after you! And why you all of a sudden can be dragged into Limbo! Demons have dragged me into that fucking place since I was a kid, but you tell me you had never been there until I found you that night…

He was evidently upset because nothing made sense

\- What if he only wants the necklace? – she said thinking that the resemblance between it and the symbol Dante had on his back could not be a mere coincidence

\- I don't know… but I don't think so, yesterday that demon said you were "the one", he didn't mention anything about the necklace

\- So… your brother was the one that sent that bug demon after me?

\- That's a good question, I don't know if he sent it or if that demon was also after you. Anyways, since you seem to know as little as me, I guess our only option is to wait and see.

\- If your brother comes, you are going to fight…you are stronger than him, right? – she asked feeling afraid Dante might lose in an upcoming battle

\- Of course I am! He may be a little faster but I already beat him once, how I wish I would have killed him then… - he said looking really angry

\- Why didn't you?

Dante stayed in silence for a couple of seconds remembering that moment.

\- It's a long story…

\- Let me guess, you don't want to tell me, you never tell me anything Dante, you want to know everything about my life but you don't want to say anything about yours – Helena said sounding really annoyed

He sighed as he tried to find the right words.

\- We had a friend in common that asked me not to kill him… - he tried to summarize the whole thing as much as he could

\- Wait… if he is as evil as you say he is, how could you even have a friend in common?

\- Vergil wasn't always like that… when I found out he wanted to take Mundus place, we fought and that's when I almost killed him, even then I could see good in him, but I saw him again around five months ago, he has changed, now he is a sadistic fuck, it's all you need to know.

\- Ok… - she said nervously because something inside her was telling her that sooner or later Vergil was going to come for her


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11:

It had been now almost two weeks and a half since Helena had been staying in Dante's apartment. Not much had happened during that time, except for one big hunter demon that dragged them into Limbo and attacked them, and just like the other demon, it was after Helena. That time it was a piece of cake for Dante who actually tried to make the demon tell him what the hell was going on, but it was useless as the demon limited himself to insult Helena, and Dante just ended up killing it infuriated. That time there was no sign of Vergil or any of his mind tricks.

During those two weeks she also had to go with him to the jobs he had, none of them had to do with demons, thankfully. Surprisingly, she found herself enjoying Dante's company a lot, and he seemed to enjoy hers too as they both had fun together. They discovered they had more things in common like similar taste in music and food. Talking about food, she had turned the pizza lover Nephilim into a strawberry sundae lover too, she would never forget his face the first time she made him try it, it was priceless, and now his diet not only consisted on pizza but ice cream too.

She was slowly but surely getting her life back, she no longer had night terrors, she was recovering her weight, she didn't feel terrified to leave the house anymore and for the first time in months she felt genuinely happy and it was all thanks to Dante. Meanwhile, he was aware of all of that and he was truly glad to see her improving that much on that short amount of time, to see that the spark in her eyes was coming back and seeing she was starting to look like the girl he saw on those pictures in her apartment made him feel happy too.

That afternoon Dante was talking on his phone, which probably meant he had another job to do as he only seemed to use his phone for that and listening to music. She was sitting on the bed brushing her hair and looking at him while he was probably negotiating his payment or something like that, she wasn't paying attention to his conversation but was lost in thought instead.

In the time that had passed she had realized something terribly tragic, she liked Dante, and a lot, she had a crush on him. It was tragic for two reasons. One, he didn't seem to be interested in her in that way, well at least he didn't seem to be interested in anyone else in that way. Sure, he would sometimes flirt with her, but that is something he apparently used to do with every single girl he met, and that was reason number two, he seemed to be such a Casanova that imagining him in a relationship was nearly absurd.

\- Are you even listening to me? – he said looking at her

\- What? – she asked, her thoughts being interrupted

\- I know I'm handsome, but you don't have to get distracted every time you look at me – he said jokingly

\- What are you talking about? I was thinking about… something important – she said feeling a little embarrassed

\- Ok, well I was telling you I have a job to do tonight

\- What is it about this time?

\- I don't know, the guy said he preferred to tell me face to face – he said shrugging his shoulders

\- That sounds… suspicious – for some reason she didn't have a good feeling about that call

\- I know, but he will pay me well. We will meet today, at midnight

Once it was nighttime they were ready to go to the meeting place, it was kind of far, almost outside of the city, so Dante decided it was better to go on his bike.

\- Come on, get on the bike – he was already on and waiting for her

Helena was a little scared because she had never been on a motorcycle before and she had the idea Dante liked driving pretty fast, but she had no choice so she nervously got on the bike, behind Dante and lightly grab onto him.

\- You'll want to hold on tighter

\- No, please don't go that fa… - she tried to ask him but he was already driving at around 60 mph

The streets were virtually empty so he was free to drive as fast as he wanted, which he liked a lot. He felt how she was holding onto him really tightly, probably tight enough to hurt a regular human, but of course not him, he actually was enjoying it as a smirk formed on his face. She had her face buried against his back not wanting to see the road ahead of them.

\- We arrived – he said as the bike stopped

They were on a completely empty dark street, that part of the city almost looked like a ghost town, it was definitely not a place you would want to be alone at night.

She slowly let go of him and hit him in head

\- I told you not to go fast!

\- It wasn't that fast – he said innocently

\- Screw you

\- Hey! I just wanted you to hold me tight – he said playfully

\- Shut up Dante - she said as she got off the bike

He did the same and started looking around, but there didn't seem to be anyone nearby. He was starting to think that maybe it was just a prank call or something like that when he felt a noise coming from behind them and immediately turned around, Dante was shocked to see the men standing now in front of him. They still had bruises on their faces and two of them had their arms in casts.

\- Well, you actually came you piece of shit – one of them said looking in his direction

Helena froze where she was and felt how her entire body started trembling in fear, she was even finding it extremely difficult to breathe, she had probably never felt that scared in her entire life, not even when the big demons appeared, she was actually starting to have a panic attack. Dante immediately got in front of her.

\- Helena listen to me, I won't let them hurt you, ok? – he said resting his hand on her shoulder so she would focus on him but she was too frightened to even listen to his words

One of the men started laughing out loud

\- Look! He came with her! – he said as the other guys laughed too

\- What are you doing with that whore? – another one of them said

\- What do you want?! You want to fight? I can't wait to fucking beat the hell out of you again – Dante said in a menacing tone

\- Did you think we would stay with our arms crossed after you came to our houses and beat us the other time?

It was all a trap, they had somehow found some information about Dante, like what he does for living and his phone number. They had lured him into that abandoned part of the city to take revenge for the beating he gave them the other day.

\- Now there's five of us, and only one of you

\- One of me is more than enough to handle scum like you – the demon hunter said sounding confident

Dante then noticed they were carrying guns so he had to be very careful, he was bulletproof but Helena wasn't, and she was too terrified to even run or hide.

The men started walking towards the couple, Helena tried to step back but she hit a wall, so the men got only a couple of feet away from them, Dante stayed where he was, he looked calmed, evaluating the situation.

\- What's wrong bitch? Why are you all shy again? I think we already know each other very, very well – one of them said in a mocking tone as he tried to approach Helena

Dante immediately stopped the man grabbing his wrist.

\- If you lay one finger on her, I will cut your hand off – a furious Dante said looking at the man straight in the eyes

\- Fuck you! – the man said as he tried to punch Dante with his other hand

He easily dodged the punch and pulled the man by the wrist he was grabbing and head-butted him, leaving him instantly unconscious and with a bloody forehead on the floor.

Seeing their mate had been hurt the other men pulled out their guns, pointing two at Helena and two at the demon hunter.

 _Ok… Maybe I shouldn't have done that…_

Dante raised his hands in defeat, he knew that given the short distance between them, if he went after them, one could simply shoot and kill her.

\- I tell you what – he tried suggesting - let her go and then you can shoot and kill me, I'm the one who beat you, she hasn't done anything to you

They looked a little confused by his offer.

\- Are you really going to sacrifice yourself for this whore?

\- Don't call her that! – Dante was beginning to get really angry

\- I'll call her whatever the fuck I want… Oh, don't tell me you are in love with her! Well, then I hope you enjoy our leftovers – he said making fun of her

\- Shut up! – Dante was feeling how his blood was boiling with rage

\- What, you are getting angry because we fucked the shit out of your girlfriend? Don't get mad, we've just… loosen her up a bit for you – another one said as the rest burst out laughing

Dante closed his eyes trying to control himself, it was taking him every bit of self-control he had in his body not to devil trigger and literally tear them limb from limb. He was torn, on one side he knew that if he devil triggered there was no turning back, he was going to murder them as he couldn't control himself in that state of rage, and on the other side he was remembering what Helena told him the day after he beat them up the first time: "Don't become like them".

Helena had her back against the wall, looking down with tears streaming down her face, her cry barely audible. Their words hurting like stabs to the chest as the memories of the assault began to come back, haunting her like a silent killer in the middle of the night. Why couldn't they just pull the trigger and kill her once and for all? Why did they have to keep on humiliating her like that in front of Dante?

\- You should have seen her – they kept on provoking Dante, enjoying every second of it – she resisted a lot at first, but after a few hits and cuts she became so docile… such a good fucktoy

\- Stop it – Dante muttered, his body trembling with rage, he knew that if they kept talking he was going to snap any second

\- Did she tell you how she couldn't walk for like two weeks after we were done with her? – they said as they started laughing

\- Shut up… - Dante muttered again clenching his teeth. He was on the verge of triggering

One of the men then turned his attention to Helena and looked at her with lust in his eyes.

\- Do you remember sweetie how I fucked you so hard you started bleeding?

\- SHUT UP!

He lost it. Everything happened so fast that they didn't even have the time to shoot. In a fraction of a second a devil triggered Dante grabbed the man that said the last thing by the neck with one hand and lifted him, Dante's demonic red eyes looking into his, terror written all over his face. A malicious grin formed on the demon hunter's face as Rebellion appeared in his other hand.

One of the three remaining men pulled the trigger of his gun, shooting Dante in the right temple, his head moving slightly from the impact, he turned to look at them with pure fury in his eyes. The men got so frightened they started running like the Devil himself was behind them. Dante decided he was going to go after them once he killed the one he still had by the neck. He raised Rebellion ready to decapitate him.

\- No Dante! – he heard someone shout

He turned and looked at the girl in front of him, she was crying and she seemed to know him, even if he couldn't recognize her.

\- Dante it's me… please stop, don't be like them

He didn't know why but when his eyes met hers all the anger he felt at that moment began to vanish.

Dante went back to normal and released his grip on the man's neck letting his unconscious body fall to the floor. As soon as he saw the mark around the man's neck he knew he was dead, he was fearing something like that would happen, he had strangled him without realizing, he didn't even remember what exactly had just happened.

\- I… I'm sorry… I didn't mean to scare you – he said seeing she looked somewhat afraid of him – It's just that… I just got furious…

Helena didn't know the man was in fact dead, she thought he was just unconscious

\- Its ok, I know it wasn't your fault…

\- We better go home – he said turning serious

She nodded and got on the bike with him.

Dante had many things going through his head at the moment, he was concerned because every time he devil triggered he felt how his demon side was slowly taking permanently over him. He felt as if he was gradually turning into a demon, into a monster.

 _Am I really becoming like them? Am I actually turning into a monster?_

On top of those disturbing thoughts in his head he also got mad because Helena cried the whole way, he genuinely hated to see her crying like that, and wished he could do something to make her feel better, but he was terrible in these types of situations.

\- Please stop crying – was all he could say

She didn't reply and kept on crying with her face buried against his back despite the fact that he was driving at a much lower speed this time. He thought she was like that because they made her remember what had happened, and of course that was part of it, but there was more. She had realized the third and final reason why it was tragic that she had a crush on Dante, he would never see her as anything else other than a victim and probably the only thing he felt for her was pity. Like they said she was just their leftovers, why would a guy like Dante settle for so little?

As soon as they arrived to the apartment she ran towards the bathroom and locked herself inside.

\- Hey Helena wait! What's wrong? – he tried asking not quite understanding why she felt so miserable

He got no reply but he could hear she was still crying. He decided it was better to let her have her space so he sat on the couch and waited. Even if he tried he couldn't stop worrying about her, she had come such a long way in the past weeks that it upset him to see her like that. After around twenty minutes he got so worried he knocked on the bathroom door, but once again he got no reply.

\- Helena if you don't open the door I swear I'm going to kick it down – he warned

She finally opened the door, not wanting him to trash his own place. She knew he wouldn't be happy after seeing what she had tried to do.

Dante saw in dismay that she had blood on her wrists.

\- What the fuck are you doing?! – he asked as he snatched his razor blade away from her

She just looked down, not answering his obvious question. This was likely the third or fourth time she had tried to kill herself in the past months, but just like the other times, she simply couldn't do it; she was too scared to actually do it.

\- Do you think I'm saving you from Vergil so you can kill yourself in my bathroom? Fuck! – Dante couldn't believe that she actually tried to kill herself - Why did you do that?! What's wrong? I didn't let them hurt you!

\- Dante I have nothing to live for, I have no family, all my friends turned their backs on me when I needed them the most, and no one will ever love someone like me, not after what happened

\- What are you talking about? Am I not your friend?

She just nodded looking sad and still looking down.

\- And why are you saying that? I'm sure you will find someone that loves you, not everyone is a jerk like you ex-boyfriend

Helena shook her head as she felt the tears running down her face again

\- You heard them, why would someone want their leftovers?

\- What?! Are you serious?! Are you really going to pay attention to what they said? What happened to you is not your fault! You are beautiful, funny, intelligent, I'm sure you'll find someone

\- What if I already did, but that person doesn't feel the same way because of what happened to me

\- Well then that guy is a fucking idiot

She finally looked up at him, not sure of what to say at first until she finally spoke

\- Are you a fucking idiot?

\- What? – he looked at her confused

 _Oh no_

Dante was finally realizing what was going on.

\- No, please don't, you really don't want to fall in love with me – he said looking distressed

\- Why not? You have saved me in more than one way, you have done so much for me…

\- Because it will just… put you in danger… look, I'm going to be honest with you, ok? – he said as he seemed to struggle to find the right words - I like you, I actually like you a lot, like I said, I think you are beautiful… but I can't, I care too much about you to just have a one-night stand and… I just cannot be in a relationship. I swear it has nothing to do with what happened to you

Helena certainly wasn't expecting Dante to say something like that, did he actually say that he liked her? His words were starting to sink in but she didn't get the last part.

\- Then what is it?

\- I told you, it's dangerous, every single demon in Hell wants my head because of what my father did, and then there's Vergil… after what he did I promised myself I would never love anyone else again, I would never put anyone else in that kind of danger

\- After what Vergil did? What did he do? – she was hoping this time Dante would finally tell her

Dante took a deep breath, this was the first time he was going to talk about what had happened, all that time he had tried to evade her questions, but now he trusted her enough to tell her everything.

\- The girl in the picture you asked about the first night… her name was Kat, she was my girlfriend… I loved her dearly, it was actually the first time that I ever loved someone… I mean, I'm sure I loved my parents but I can barely remember them, but I know that I truly loved her… one day she had a nightmare, she dreamt something bad was going to happen to her, she was a psychic so of course I listened to her. That night I had a job to do, I had to take care of a band of drug dealers so it was kind of dangerous, I told her it was better she stayed here, I thought she would be safer here… but… when I came back… I saw him… I saw Vergil standing on the street, he had this sadistic grin on his face… I knew the moment I saw him that he had done something terrible… I came up running and found… - He made a pause as his expression changed, it seemed like he was in actual physical pain just by remembering that moment – I found… her dismembered body… Vergil had killed her, just for the pleasure of seeing me suffer, she was not a threat to him or anyone, she didn't do anything wrong… she even saved his life… she was the one who asked me not to kill him when I had the chance and he just… murdered her in the most gruesome way possible… that day I realized someone like me wasn't made to love anyone, because everyone I ever cared for just ended up dying, my parents, my girlfriend… love is a human emotion and I'm not, maybe it's a curse for being the offspring of a forbidden love… I don't know… but I'm sorry, I don't want to put you in more danger than you already are.

Helena just stayed in silence, she now understood why Dante hated his brother so much, he had a very good reason, and even if it was not exactly what she wanted to hear, she understood him, he also had a good reason to want to be alone.

\- You won't ever give love a second chance?

\- I… - he now wasn't so sure of his answer, his heart wanted to say yes, but he had suffered so much he had to be rational – No, but you have to give life a second chance, even if I can't be what you want me to be, I'll be there for you as a friend

She nodded, it was fair enough, she understood his reasons, and despite he couldn't love her in that way, she felt content because he really cared for her, they could just stay friends like they had been until then.

\- Come here – he said as he pulled her close in a tender embrace – promise me you will never let anyone make you feel like you don't deserve someone

\- Ok… I promise… - she said hugging him back

After a few seconds in silence they broke apart.

\- You said you have nothing to live for, you are wrong – he continued – your mother asked you to take care of that necklace before dying

\- But… I don't even know what it is for…

\- It doesn't matter, do it for her

He was right, she actually had something to live for, she had to do it for her mother, it was the last thing she told her before dying and she couldn't let her down just like that, she was going to protect the necklace, even if it cost her, her own life.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12:

Two days had passed since they had that talk confessing their feelings. Thankfully for both of them things didn't get awkward between them, it was probably due to Dante's "ability" to pretend things hadn't happened, but even if everything remained just as before, that conversation was one of the only two things in the demon hunter's head. That night he couldn't sleep thinking about it, what if he gave it a chance? Would that be selfish on his part knowing that would put her in danger? Yes, he knew it would be a selfish thing to do, he would never forgive himself if something bad ever happened to her again, she had already been through a lot, so he had decided that for the sake of their sanity he was going to try to distance himself from her a bit, stop the occasional flirting and maybe even flirt with other women in front of her so she would distance herself from him too, it was the best thing to do, for both of them, or so he thought, because living with someone you like and not be able to be with that person was stressful from him to say the least.

That morning Helena was reading the newspaper as usual, there didn't seem to be any interesting news that day so she was about to put the paper aside, but then one headline, almost at the end of the newspaper, caught her attention, it read:

"THREE MEN COMMIT SUICIDE AFTER CLAIMING TO HAVE SEEN THE DEVIL"

The title almost seemed laughable but she read the few lines of the small article in silence. The names written belonged to three of the men that attacked her, the ones that ran away after Dante triggered. The news said they shot themselves in the head after claiming to have had an encounter with a "demonic creature" on Wednesday's night. It also said that one source close to the deceased told the police they were terrified that "thing" was going to come after them and that had been driving them crazy and paranoid until they decided to end their lives.

Helena just stayed there with the newspaper in her hands. They were finally dead and surprisingly she felt nothing, she didn't feel happy or glad, if anything she felt relieved they killed themselves and it wasn't Dante the one who had to do that, she didn't want him to have to deal with that burden as he had told her one day that he had never killed a human being before, only demons.

\- Look – she told Dante giving him the newspaper

He took a few seconds to read the piece of news and, unlike her, he felt glad they were finally where they deserved to be, not to mention he also felt a little pleased that he was the reason they decided to end their worthless lives.

\- Well I hope they rot in hell for eternity – he said putting the paper aside – too bad one of them is still alive

Helena looked at him a little puzzled.

\- One? They were five

In that moment Dante remembered he still hadn't told her that he had killed one of them. He didn't regret doing it at all, as a matter of fact, after all the bullshit they were speaking, he wished he would have slayed them all, but the fact that he had no control over himself while triggered was very unsettling for him. Will she be afraid of him if she knew that? If she knew he hadn't even recognized her. He tried to decipher her expression to see if he could tell her, but she had a poker face, not showing any apparent emotion at all.

\- One, two, doesn't matter, it's still a shame – he said deciding it was better she didn't know, at least for now

She ignored Dante's seemingly worrying lack of math skills and sat on the bed again facing him.

\- It's funny, how they call you the devil when you are the good guy

The good guy, Dante had never seen himself as the good guy or the hero. He had told Vergil that mankind was under his protection now, but he hadn't been able to protect anything, not even Kat, and it was his fault she was dead. He was no hero, a hero would not have someone killed because of him, a hero would not turn into a freaking monster like he did and a hero could not possibly have demon blood running through his veins.

\- I'm sure those bastards were worse than any demon I've encountered, but I'm not the good guy Helena, I'm not a hero – he said looking at the ceiling

\- To me you are, you are MY hero

He looked at her seeming a little concerned but then a slight smile formed on his face, it was comforting to know someone thought of him in that way.

\- Thanks, it actually means a lot that you think that

She just smiled back at him. It was not the smile from the pictures he saw in her apartment, but it was close.

It was moments like these that made Dante question his choice of not giving love another chance. He wanted to tell her she looked cute when she smiled like that, but he had already made up his mind so he simply closed his eyes and pretended to sleep again, thus ending the conversation.

That night Dante had to meet with a client that owed him money, the client was a girl that worked at a local club, so they arranged to meet there. Helena thought maybe they could stay there for a while to distract themselves from everything that had happened, an idea that Dante agreed on as he also needed desperately to clear his mind.

Helena wasn't exactly the type of person that loved going to night clubs, but anything was better than staying in the same room with Dante all day. It wasn't that she didn't like being around him, she really enjoyed his company a lot, but she thought that if they went out she would be able to think about something else other than him.

She entered the bathroom to get ready. It had been a long time since she had dressed up for anything, probably because in the past months she had completely lost interest in things like clothes or makeup, but perhaps it was time to change that.

\- I'm ready, what do you think? – Helena said as she came out of the bathroom wearing a simple but flattering short black dress, black heels and some makeup

There were very few times in Dante's life in which he was left speechless and this was one of them. He felt his jaw drop at how beautiful she was, she looked stunning, showing off her long legs and a body to die for.

\- I… Uhh… I mean, you look… perfect – he said stumbling over his words

She noticed Dante's nervousness and a playful smile formed on her face

\- Did I just make you nervous? – she teased him

\- Nervous? Me? Ha! You wished – he said trying to sound as cocky as possible to hide the fact that for the first time in his life a woman had left him speechless, normally it was the other way around.

Helena simply laughed as she noticed Dante was staring at her like an idiot again so she walked up to him and placed her index finger under his chin and lifted it up, closing his mouth.

\- Are we going or what? – she asked him

Dante cleared his throat feeling a little embarrassed, the whole situation being something completely new to him. He mentally slapped himself for reacting like that and put on a leather jacket as he made his way to the door. Once outside they got into a cab that would take them to the night club.

When they arrived they sat near the bar to drink something. Dante ordered a bottle of Jack Daniel's while she ordered a fruit cocktail as she didn't really like whisky, unlike the demon hunter. They spent the next hour chatting and laughing while they waited for Dante's client to arrive. He had already drunk the whole bottle of whisky but given he had a non-human resistance to alcohol he was only a little happier than usual.

\- I'll go to the restroom, will be right back – she told him standing up, she hadn't drunk nearly as half as Dante, but she was already feeling a little light headed.

On her way to the restroom a guy stopped her and asked her if she wanted to dance with him, she doubted for a couple of seconds but declined in the end, it wouldn't be polite to leave Dante siting alone. But of course girls in the club wouldn't leave a guy like Dante alone for a very long time.

\- Hey handsome! Wanna dance? – a random girl approached him

Dante turned to look at the pretty girl talking to him. He was already used to girls approaching him in that way, especially the ones that were down to everything. It depended on his mood how he would react to them and that night he was in a very good mood.

\- I don't think so, dancing is not really my thing, but we can do something else – he said with a grin on his face

\- What if I give you a dance then? – she told him with a mischievous smile

\- That sounds a lot better – he said still smirking

The whiskey had definitely brought back the old flirt in Dante, but he was still conscious of what he was doing, he knew Helena was probably going to hate him after this, but he thought that maybe it was better that way. The girl got really close to him and began to give him a lap dance.

Helena only spent around 5 minutes in the restroom and as she was returning to the table she was shocked to see a very entertained Dante enjoying the private dance

 _What the…_

She knew he was just her friend, but still she couldn't help to get jealous to see him with another girl, especially after the conversation they had days before, why would he do something like that? She walked up to him and tap on his shoulder.

\- Having fun, huh? – she told him raising a brow

Dante was surprised to see her and found himself stumbling over his words again while the girl stopped dancing feeling embarrassed.

\- Helena… I… Uhh… - he really didn't know what to tell her, but he had to keep up his act – Yeah… I'm having fun, that's why we came, right?

 _She is so gonna hate me after this…_

In that moment he was saved by the bell as his phone began ringing and he immediately picked up avoiding the awkward moment.

\- It's my client, I got to go! – he said standing up and giving an apologetic look to the girl

The girl left as Dante sighed in relief. He had planned to do this, to make Helena stop liking him so he didn't know why he felt so guilty. He hadn't done anything wrong, had he?

\- I'll meet the client at the door, it'll just take a minute, please wait here – he told Helena, who didn't look happy at all

\- Sure – she answered glaring at him

She ordered another drink as she sat down again, maybe due to the fact that she was so mad at that moment she drank the whole thing in a couple of minutes. She couldn't believe Dante's behavior, he didn't seem to be drunk so that wasn't an excuse.

 _He is such an idiot…_

It was then that a very handsome guy approached her and asked her to dance. She thought about it for a moment, if Dante could have fun why couldn't she? If she had been sober she wouldn't have accepted, but her mind was already very clouded by alcohol, so she tried to stand up, she was feeling dizzy by that point, but still managed to walk somewhat properly, so she went to the dance floor with the guy.

A few minutes later Dante came back to find an empty table, he immediately got worried and started looking around, only to spot Helena seconds later dancing with the guy.

 _You have to be kidding me…_

He sat down feeling irritated for some reason, if she wanted to dance why didn't she ask him? Dancing was not his thing, but she could have at least asked him first instead of going with a random dude. He decided to order another bottle of whisky, his mood being completely ruined by that point he rejected at least three girls in the following 20 minutes. He just couldn't keep his eyes off her, and seeing her having fun with another guy was really starting to piss him off. Isn't this what he wanted? She distancing herself from him and finding someone else, he thought that's what he wanted, but he never imagined it would get on his nerves like this.

Dante then saw how the guy placed his hands on her hips and she wrapped her arms around his neck. He didn't realize he was holding his glass with so much strength in that moment that it completely shattered in his hand, cutting him.

\- Fuck!

He tried to clean the mess, thankfully nobody seemed to notice it and it only took him a few seconds to heal the cut. He finished his bottle in one gulp and then proceeded to pay both bills, he decided it was enough so he walked towards her, by that point he was beginning to feel dizzy too.

\- Hey, we are leaving – he told Helena not sounding in a very good mood

\- What? Why? – she said letting go of the guy's neck

Dante gave the guy a threatening look

\- You can take your hands off her now dude – Dante told him

\- What? Are you with him? – the guy asked Helena

\- Uh… He is just my friend – she said referring to Dante

\- I can take her home, you can piss off now – the guy told Dante

Dante grabbed the guy's shoulder and was ready to punch him, but Helena got in the way stopping him.

\- I'm sorry, I have to go – she told the guy and then turned to face Dante – Fine party pooper, let's go

She grabbed Dante's arm to help her keep her balance and they got out of the club.

\- What was that about? – she asked him once they were outside

\- I'm not your freaking bodyguard to watch after you while you dance with an ugly dude

\- Ugly? Come on, he wasn't ugly – she said laughing – besides, I was just having fun, just like you when you were enjoying that girl's lap dance, that's why we came, right?

He rolled his eyes, she had done it on purpose to give him a dose of his own medicine, and he didn't like it at all.

\- Whatever – he said getting into a cab

They remained silent the entire way, it was clear there was some tension between them. The cab stopped as they arrived to his apartment.

\- Why don't you admit it? You were jealous – she said once inside the apartment

\- What makes you think that? – he said sounding irritated

\- I saw the way you were staring at us, if looks could kill, the poor guy would be dead by now

\- I've never been jealous in my entire life so don't think you are that special – he said still sounding angry

Being a guy that always got what he wanted, he actually had never been jealous of anyone over a girl, so it was very hard for him to admit that he actually was.

\- Well, if you are not jealous, then you won't mind if I see him again, I gave him my number – she lied, she just wanted to see Dante's reaction

\- What? You are NOT seeing him again – he said sounding even more pissed off than before

\- Why not?

He seemed to be struggling to come up with something, but two bottles of whiskey had taken their toll on his fast thinking and reasoning.

\- Fine, I was jealous, are you happy now? – he finally admitted

\- You were? – She asked startled by Dante's confession – But I thought you said we were better off as friends…

\- Fuck what I said

\- What?

He passed his fingers through his hair trying to get his thoughts straight, maybe it was the alcohol, maybe not, but he was feeling the sudden urge to reduce the distance between them, so he started to walk towards her, getting really close.

\- Wh… what are you doing? – she asked realizing she now had her back against the wall

\- Tell me, is this really what you want? - he asked leaning forward, his lips almost touching hers

Helena was completely shocked by Dante's actions and felt how her heart was beating a lot faster than usual. Having him that close to her was making her really nervous as she slowly nodded, answering his question.

\- I'm a monster, I'm a demon… and you know that

\- Why are saying that? You are not – she said placing her hand on his cheek

Dante looked down and remained silent for a couple of seconds, anguish written all over his face.

\- That son of a bitch that I grabbed by the neck… he is dead, I killed him without realizing, I couldn't even recognize you! What if I ever hurt you… - he said still looking troubled

She was shocked to know he had killed the man and kept it a secret, but she knew it wasn't his fault, she knew he was not a monster and even if he couldn't recognize her while triggered she didn't feel afraid of him.

\- But… that wasn't really you, I know you would never hurt me

\- Even if I don't, it will still put you in danger

\- I am already in danger… being with you is actually the only way I can be safe

Dante thought of what to say to that for a brief moment, he knew that she was right in a way but the thing was he had suffered so much after Kat's death that he felt afraid he would have to go through something like that again, he didn't want to lose anyone else ever again.

\- I don't want to lose you… I would never forgive myself if something happens to you because of me – he said caressing her cheek softly

\- You won't lose me – she said looking into his blue eyes

Dante gently pulled her even closer to him and kissed her on the lips, she kissed him back running her hand through his hair. The kiss was long and passionate, only separating their lips to gasp for some air. He took his jacket off tossing it to the floor and she slipped her hand under his shirt, feeling his well-defined abs with her fingers. A playful smirk formed on his face as he helped her take his shirt off. His hands then traveled up her body and towards the zipper on the back of her dress, tugging it down. His eyes drifted down to her chest as the dress slid down to the floor revealing her sexy black lace lingerie. He became so aroused by the sight he wasn't even thinking about what he was doing anymore, he pushed her lightly down onto the bed, and got on top of her while they kept on kissing, his hands tracing up and down her body.

After minutes of this, her hands eventually went down to his pants and she unbuckled his belt, it was then, at that precise moment that the alcohol in his blood was beginning to wear off rapidly, one of the "disadvantages" of not being human was that two bottles of whiskey couldn't keep him drunk for too long, and reality hit him like a shot to the head, making him abruptly get up from the bed.

\- What's wrong? – she asked him

Dante looked at her still in shock, it was obvious she was still drunk.

\- You are drunk Helena… I don't want you to do something you'll regret tomorrow

\- I won't – she said trying to stand up too

\- No no no – he said stopping her – you should sleep now

He rushed into the bathroom and washed his face with very cold water to cool himself off. He looked in the mirror and then closed his eyes trying to get his thoughts together.

 _What the fuck am I doing?_

A part of him couldn't believe what almost happened in the room and the other part of him couldn't believe he had rejected getting laid by the girl that he liked, well there's a first time for everything.

Once he came into the room again, he saw she had already fallen asleep right where he had left her, he sat on the bed next to her and caressed her face. He had changed his mind, he was going to give love another chance. Looking at her sleeping he wondered how she would react once she woke up and realize what had happened, maybe she would get mad at him, maybe she would think he was taking advantage of her since she was drunk, hopefully that wouldn't be the case. He got up and grabbed a blanket placing it over her, he then lay in the couch and stared at the ceiling, hoping he was making the right choice.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13:

The sun shined bright through Dante's room window waking Helena who felt very disoriented, dizzy and with a mild headache, for a brief moment not recognizing where she was, the unfamiliarity was probably due to the fact that she couldn't even remember how they got back to the apartment, the last thing she could recall was getting out of the night club with a very bad-tempered Dante that almost got into a fight with the guy she was dancing with, she definitely had drunk way too much last night. When she tried sitting up the dizziness increased so she stayed still waiting for it to pass, as her vision was returning to normal she realized the only thing she was wearing was her underwear, and the only thing covering her was a blanket, how the hell did she end up sleeping like this?

She turned and looked at Dante who, unsurprisingly, was still sleeping, this time in what seemed like a very uncomfortable position, his face deep buried into the couch cushions, it seemed like he had had a hell of a night. An image of him kissing her went through her mind in that moment and she wondered if it had been just a dream or not, but then reality began to sink in when she noticed her dress on the floor, next to his jacket and shirt. She immediately felt her blood pressure drop and ran towards the bathroom while still trying to remember what exactly had happened. She was beginning to feel sick to her stomach just thinking about it, genuinely feeling scared, the sole idea of being intimate with a man again terrified her, even if that man was someone she trusted like Dante. She started taking deep breaths trying to calm herself down and hold the tears back, feeling like the stupidest person in the world for getting drunk and letting whatever happened occur, she didn't even know how far things had gone. What was she supposed to tell him once he woke up? Should she ask him if they had...? The thought alone made her cringe, but since she couldn't remember almost anything the only option she had was asking him.

Once she was a little more calmed she thought maybe a shower would help her to relax before having to ask Dante the most awkward question ever, she was even considering not saying anything and just try to pretend nothing had happened but the incertitude of not knowing would end up driving her insane. Since she hadn't brought any clothes with her she had to go back into the room before showering, so she opened the door and was about to come out but saw that Dante was already awake and picking up his clothes from the floor. Helena immediately shut the door again feeling embarrassed, she knew he had seen her in her underwear the night before but now that she was sober she was a lot more self-conscious about her body.

\- Dante… can you turn around? I'm on my underwear – she said shyly slightly opening the door again

He tilted his head to the side as a look of confusion appeared on his face, he didn't understand why she would ask him that after everything that had happened, but decided not to question and simply go along with it.

\- Sure – he said turning and looking to the corner of the room

Helena quickly entered the room and picked up some clean clothes, while doing that she turned to look at him and make sure he wasn't peeking, he wasn't, he was just standing there staring at the plain wall with his hands resting on the back of his head. She envied him cause he was so unworried and carefree, he looked so relaxed while she was a nervous wreck at that moment. Knowing him, he probably wasn't going to address what had happened unless she did it first as he always preferred to sweep things under the rug, so she was going to have to ask him later.

Once in the shower she was taking a lot longer than usual, still not being able to believe what had happened the night before, for any other girl it wouldn't be a big deal but for her it was. She felt so irresponsible and stupid for getting that drunk, she knew that what had happened was a mistake since that was not how she was at all, while sober there is absolutely no way she would be able to get that close to a man without feeling scared and ashamed of her body. Her thoughts making her look at her scars, they were everywhere, on her thighs, her abdomen, her chest; some of them were long cutting scars that were made to her with a broken bottle and some were small cigarette burn scars; most of the scars on her body were on her back though, they were even bigger since they were belting scars, and even if she couldn't see them she knew how gross they were, Dante was probably going to be disgusted, if he wasn't already.

Helena took as long as possible in order to delay the moment of having to face Dante, she got dressed very slowly and even took the time to fully dry her long chestnut brown hair while she wondered what could possibly be going through his head, he probably thought she was just like the girls he normally brings home, how degrading, but what he thought wasn't really important to her at the moment, she just wanted to know how far things had gone, she needed to know, so she took a deep breath and put her hand on the door knob and turned it.

\- You took for-fucking-ever – he told her once she came out of the bathroom - I wanted to take a shower too

She just ignored Dante's irrelevant complain, now was the time to ask him. It took her a few seconds to find the courage to finally speak.

\- Dante… - she said hesitant

He looked at her waiting for her to finish, it was clear she felt uncomfortable saying whatever she wanted to tell him.

\- Yesterday… uhh… did we… you know… - she asked avoiding his look

\- You mean if we had sex? – he replied as if it was the most natural thing in the world

She could feel her cheeks turning bright pink as she looked down feeling extremely embarrassed and nodded.

\- No – he simply said siting up – but almost

Hearing the first thing she felt a huge weigh being lifted off her shoulders as she sighed feeling relieved, until she heard the last part, what did he mean by almost? In that moment she wished earth would just open up and swallow her. Dante noticed her mortified expression, sometimes women were so complicated to him, he thought she would be glad to know they hadn't spent the night together but instead she looked as if she was about to throw up.

\- You don't remember anything? – He said surprised of how oblivious she was.

She could swear he sounded as if he was offended because she had completely forgotten what had happened.

\- Uhh… only some things… - she answered still looking to the floor

\- Do you remember what I told you?

\- No… sorry…

A look of frustration appeared on Dante's face now that he realized how drunk she actually had been.

\- I asked you if you really wanted this because I've changed my mind Helena, I want to give it a chance

At first she was baffled to hear what he just said, making her finally look up to him, he seemed extremely serious and was waiting for her to say something. After a moment of silence she started to slowly remember what he had told her, flashbacks of the previous night rushing through her mind.

\- I… I think I remember now… and I still believe the same… I don't think you are a monster for killing a human… just so you know, the one you killed was the worst of them, he was the one that hurt me the most… - she said with sadness in her voice

\- Wait, you didn't understand me, I don't feel like a monster for killing that scum, I would do it again if I could, I feel like a monster when I Devil Trigger, it's hard to explain but I feel like I would kill anything and anyone standing in my way, innocent or not

\- I don't care – she said shrugging her shoulders – to me you are not a monster and I don't care if you are half demon, I'm not afraid of you… with you I feel safe

He got up and walked towards her

\- You don't think I'm being selfish? I know this will put in danger…

\- Demons were already after me even before I met you, so I don't think your decision matters that much in that aspect

She had a point there since that's actually how they met, in Limbo, and it didn't really matter if they were romantically involved or not, demons were still going to be after her.

\- Alright then – he said leaning forward, wrapping his arm around her waist and kissed her in the lips

She got really nervous feeling his touch and bare chest that close to her, still she tried to control her anxiety and enjoy the kiss, but feeling his strong arm tightly wrapped around her waist triggered something inside of her that made her suddenly push him away. Dante stepped back with a questioning look on his face, racking his brain trying to figure out what he had done wrong for her to react like that.

\- I'm sorry – she apologized shyly – I still get nervous about… physical contact

He immediately felt like an idiot and slapped his forehead for forgetting that and assuming things were going to be like the previous night.

\- Right, I understand, don't worry – he said in a soothing tone – we'll take it slow

Helena felt her cheeks blushing, she didn't expect him to be so understanding. She knew she had promised him she wouldn't feel this way but still she couldn't help to think that he deserved better than her.

\- I'm sorry Dante, I'm not like the girl you saw yesterday, I feel so stupid for getting drunk… - she said looking very ashamed

\- Just forget about it – he answered nonchalant - I was drunk too

\- Yeah… maybe that's why you didn't notice how gross my body is…

\- You are joking right? - he asked chuckling really believing she was joking but as seconds passed his smile faded as he realized she wasn't – Why on earth would I think that?! Trust me, your body is drool worthy, even more than pizza, and that's saying a lot

Helena paid no mind to his joke and turned around without saying a word and lifted her shirt showing him her back. There were at least fifteen big scars, around 7 inches each. He now understood why she would say something like that, but he would never think it was gross, to be honest he had noticed most of them the night before but he didn't really care, he knew that if it wasn't for his healing factor he would be covered in scars from head to toe even if he didn't fight demons.

She turned to face him with a very depressed look on her face misunderstanding his silence.

\- Go ahead, you can now tell me how disgusted you are, how much you regre… - she was interrupted by a light kiss on the lips

\- Stop it – he said sternly – I hate when you do that

\- Do what?

\- When you think less of yourself… jokes aside, you are the most beautiful girl I've ever seen

She looked up at him surprised and could see in his eyes that he meant it, but didn't know how to respond and just remained silent until he spoke again.

\- You know, scars mean that you are strong, stronger than whatever tried to hurt you, they mean that you've been through a lot but are still here, that makes you a fighter and I really like that – he said gently lifting her chin and leaning over to her ear – I think that's sexy as fuck

She felt a shiver down her spine when he said that

\- You really think that? – she asked finding his words hard to believe

\- I'm not the type of guy who is going to sugar coat things for you even if you are my girlfriend, if there's something I don't like, you can be sure I'll tell you

Helena was more surprised by the fact that he just called her his girlfriend than by whatever he said after that word. The whole situation just seemed kind of surreal, but there was something about him that bothered her, something she wanted to tell him since the day he told her about why he hated Vergil so much.

\- Dante… - she started – I think you are a hypocrite

\- What?! – he asked in shock as the last thing he was expecting from her was an insult

\- Three days ago, when you told me what your brother did, I could see how guilty you feel for your ex-girlfriend's death

He stayed in silence, a little surprised at how good she was at reading him.

\- Yes because it was my fault – he said frowning

\- Then how do you expect me not to feel guilty about what happened to me when you can't do the same for you? It's easy for you to tell me 'It wasn't your fault' but you can't even follow your own advise

\- It's completely different, I was the one that told her to stay here. I'm the one that wasn't able to protect her! – he said slightly raising his voice, it was clear that the topic was a sensitive one for him

\- And I'm the one that made the dumb decision to walk home alone that late at night instead of calling a cab – she said as she started crying – You know what my ex-boyfriend said? He told me that I asked for it, that I deserved it for being so stupid

Just imagining someone telling her something that cruel made him furious, the son of a bitch better never cross his path or he'll regret saying that to her for the rest of his life. It totally broke Dante's heart thinking about everything she had to go through. He got closer to her and hugged her tightly kissing her forehead.

\- Don't cry, listen, that didn't happen because of anything you did wrong, it happened because some very sick bastards decided to hurt someone in the worst possible way and you absolutely didn't deserve what they did to you

She wrapped her arms around his waist and remained silent for a brief moment.

\- I could tell you the exact same thing Dante, that it was your brother's fault not yours, by telling her to stay here you were only trying to protect her, you did nothing wrong so please stop blaming yourself, every time you remember that moment I can see the pain and guilt in your eyes, in your face… I know you don't see yourself as a hero, but I want you to know that no matter what happens to me, no matter if you can't save me in the end, you'll always be my hero for everything that you've already done for me.

That moment was the first time she saw Dante vulnerable, for an instant he looked as if he was about to cry.

\- You have no idea how much I wish I had been there that day to save you

A small and melancholic smile appeared on her face

\- The knight in shining armor always rescuing the damsel in distress just in time, that only happens in fairy tales Dante, I've learned that the hard way – she made a pause before continuing – But I really want to heal from that, I do want to stop blaming myself, but I want and need you to do the same

They both knew that was easier said than done, it wasn't something one could do overnight, but at least they were both willing to try now.

\- I guess it's fair enough – he said as he looked straight into her eyes - Thank you Helena, for caring so much about me

He genuinely was grateful as no one had ever stopped to wonder and care about how he really felt, no one had ever looked so deep into him behind the tough guy façade, not even Kat. His emotional wounds didn't heal as easily as the physical ones and he was glad someone cared enough about him to notice that.

Helena gave him a warm smile and Dante's breath was suddenly taken away. It was a smile that could light up even the darkest room and melt the iciest of hearts.

 _That's the smile._ He thought remembering the pictures from her apartment and the silly thought that crossed his mind at that time, she smiling like that for him. For him. And now it had happened, and he knew the moment he saw it he would do _anything_ to make her happy, whatever she asked for, he would give her.

Her eyes were still watery but all trace of sadness was gone, in fact they were sparkling with life. She was back to being the happy girl form the pictures, at last. All this time Dante thought he was the one trying to fix her but it turned out they were both fixing each other in the end.

\- Now give me a kiss, I've been craving to taste your lips again all night – he said with a playful smirk on his face


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14:

A little more than a week had passed, ten perfect days in which life made sense again for both of them. Everything was not only wonderful but it was also peaceful, there were no demons, no sign of Vergil, no fighting, it got to a point where Helena started to believe her whole demon ordeal had been just a mistake or misunderstanding as there was not a plausible reason why someone would be after her, there was nothing special about her, although Dante disagreed on that last part. Talking about the demon hunter, ever since the news about the sighting of The Devil came out, he became a sort of urban legend in the city, with many people claiming to have seen him around at night time, but they both knew all those people were just phonies since Dante hadn't triggered again since that day.

It was around ten in the morning and Helena woke up, her head was resting on Dante's chest, feeling it slowly moving up and down as he slept, she could also feel his arm around her in a sort of possessive way. She watched him sleep for a couple of minutes thinking about how lucky she had been to have met him just when she needed someone the most and regardless of what she believed before she now thought he had appeared in her life just in time to save her from her inner demons. As a boyfriend, Dante turned out to be nothing like she had expected him to be, he was loving, understanding, and maybe due to everything they had experienced in the past, he was also very protective of her. She knew she could be an emotional mess at times, she would be overly sensitive or freak out over the smallest thing, but even with all those terrible traits he was there for her, he was everything she could've asked for and more.

\- Dante, wake up – she said shaking him gently

He shifted slightly in his sleep and mumbled something unintelligible. Knowing how lazy he was he was probably asking for five more minutes of sleep, especially now that he didn't have to sleep on the couch and could sleep on his bed once again.

\- It's getting late – she said kissing him softly on the lips

Dante finally opened his eyes and a smile formed on his face, he normally hated being waken up, but this time he wasn't annoyed.

\- Now that's a nice way to wake up – he said before kissing her back

They kissed some more until they were both breathing hard, then in one swift motion he rolled on top of her and began kissing her neck. Despite being lazy for almost everything else he could be very energetic when it came to love.

\- Dante, not now – she told him giggling

\- Why not? – he replied almost sounding like a child who has been denied candy

\- I want to go to my apartment today, I want to pick up some things, and I also need to clean the mess that was left

It had been almost a month since she last went to her place, she remembered the time she went there with Dante the morning after meeting him and how the demons had made a mess out of her living room.

\- Ok… I'll help you clean – he said getting up

\- You? Cleaning? – she laughed at the idea - Yeah right

Once they were ready, they made their way to her apartment. When they arrived Helena was shocked to see the huge mess that was her place, she didn't remember it being half as bad.

\- What the hell happened here? – She asked in disbelief

\- Uh… I may have moved a few things the time I came here without your permission… - he said with a sheepish smile and scratching the back of his head

\- Moved a few things? Dante it looks like a hurricane blew through this place!

\- I'm sorry…

\- Now I get why you offered to help so kindly – she said sighing – well, let's start, we have a lot of work to do

They walked in and Dante started looking around, paying attention to the details of the apartment for the first time. He could tell the place was nice even if it was kind of trashed now. It had a modern look to it with everything being black and white, he liked it. It was definitely nicer and bigger than his place, maybe they should move.

Among the many things scattered on the floor there was one that caught Dante's attention, a broken photo frame. Curious to see the picture in it he picked it up, it was a family portrait, Helena around five years old with what seemed to be her parents. Seeing the picture made him think about the similarities of their childhoods, both of them losing their parents at a very young age and, peculiarly enough, around the same time, but something about the photograph made him uneasy.

\- Hey babe, are they your parents? – he asked Helena showing her the picture

\- Yes, why? – she replied as she walked towards him noticing his tense expression

He kept staring at the picture intensely, he could swear he had seen the woman in the photograph before but, for the life of him, he couldn't remember where. All he knew was that she looked awfully familiar.

\- It's nothing – he lied thinking that maybe it was just his imagination

\- You can tell me – she said looking into his eyes

By that point Dante didn't know if he was just plain terrible at lying or if she was just too good at reading him, whatever the case was, she knew he wasn't telling the truth.

\- Is just that… your mother looks… familiar

Helena gave him a puzzled look, sure that he was just mistaking her mother for another person.

\- I don't think that's possible, she died when you were just a kid and we've always lived in this city, you told me you had never left Limbo City up until last year

\- It's only a two-hour drive, but yeah… it's probably just because she looks like you – he said trying to forget about it

\- I'm sure is just that – she said taking the picture - you can throw the broken frame away

He did so and began picking the other things that were on the floor, papers and some magazines that were scattered all over the place. After only a few minutes of tidying up he got bored and began looking through some of the magazines.

\- Hey, you are on this magazine! – Dante said excited pointing to one of the pages where there was a picture of Helena in a lingerie campaign

\- Yeah… I took those earlier this year… - she looked a little embarrassed – give me that, I'll throw it away

\- No way! I'm keeping it, you are so fucking sexy… when are you gonna do a private shoot for me? – he said winking at her and with a devilish smirk on his face

\- Maybe when you finish cleaning – she told him jokingly

\- I'm on it! – he said doing a military salute and grinned – I just needed some motivation

After a couple of hours they were done cleaning the living room, unfortunately that was not the only messy room in the apartment. They went into her room, which was kind of chaotic too. The first thing she noticed when they entered was the big file opened on the floor with some of its pages and pictures scattered around it. When Dante came to her home looking for the file many days before, he had forgotten to put it back in the drawer and just left it there.

\- Shit! I'll get that – he said rushing towards it, the last thing he wanted was for her to think about that

He put it all together and closed it, but it was too late, when he looked up she already had a gloomy look on her face and he just couldn't stand seeing her like that.

\- You know, we should burn this thing... there's no point in you keeping it… and who knows? it might even be therapeutic – he suggested

Helena remained silent for a couple of seconds, the idea actually didn't sound bad at all.

\- Maybe… but we can't burn it here

\- We can go to the forest, there's no one there

She remembered the time he took her to the forest to teach her how to shoot, it resulted to be very easy for her, and surprisingly she thought it was kind of fun, so maybe they could go again and he could teach her more advanced stuff now.

\- Fine, but since we are going to the woods again I want to have another shooting lesson

\- That's my girl! – he replied sounding thrilled - But I don't think there's much more I could teach you, you are already pretty good

\- It'll be like a practice then

\- Sure, we can do that

Dante proceeded to put the file in a bag, along with a lighter and some empty cans for the shooting practice and then continued with the housework. In the process of cleaning he noticed the apartment had a big study with a great amount of books. Luckily for them that room was intact, just a little dusty.

\- You've read all of this? – he asked fascinated

\- Yeah, most of them

\- Wait, don't lie, these are not even in English – he said as he noticed many of the books were in different languages

\- Remember I told you that before dying my mother said something to me in an unknown language? Well when I was younger I tried to learn some languages in order to maybe discover what she said, but sadly I could never find it out

\- So… how many do you speak?

\- Four. English, Latin, Spanish and Italian

\- Wow – he said raising a brow - You are so smart, I speak English and Sarcasm how's that?

She laughed, one of the things that she loved the most about him was his sense of humor, he probably wasn't the most intellectual person in the world, but he was very witty and she liked that, she was grateful for it since he had managed to do in a few days what two months of therapy couldn't.

Dante's attention then went to one of the books in the shelves, it was a copy of The Iliad by Homer

\- Were you named after Helen of Troy? – he asked curious

Helena was happily surprised he knew the character.

\- Yes, in Latin is Helena

\- When I was a kid they made us watch a movie about that in the orphanage, I fell asleep during most of the film, but I remember that name, she was important I think

\- She was, she was a daughter of Zeus and she also caused the Trojan War – Helena said chuckling

\- She alone caused a war? How?

\- It sounds ridiculous but, long story short, two men were fighting over her, and the war began when one of them kidnapped her

\- She must have been beautiful then – he replied thinking that maybe the story was not as absurd as she thought

\- Yeah, actually in Greek myths she was considered the most beautiful woman in the world

\- Well, you definitely live up to the name then, it suits you perfectly – he said grinning and pulling her closer to him

She just blushed, she was still getting used to Dante's constant flattery, and the truth was he meant every single one of his compliments. He was crazy about her, never having felt like this before, he would do the impossible just to make her happy and see that smile he loved to see on her face. Dante leaned forward and kissed her hungrily, he simply couldn't get enough of her, but after a few seconds they were cut off by a loud rumble from his stomach. They separated and stared at each other for a moment before laughing, they had been so busy they completely forgot about lunch.

\- Ok, maybe we should get something to eat, I think I've exploited you enough for today – she said teasingly

\- Damn! Today is not my day… let's go eat first and then we can go to the forest

\- Sounds good, but please lets go to another restaurant, one where the waitresses don't know you

\- Sure, you can choose this time babe – he answered laughing

* * *

 _Of course! How could I've been so blind? All this time I thought that by two keys Sparda meant my and Dante's amulets, but they actually only form one of the keys, the other key being Assiel's necklace, everything makes sense now… I guess it's finally time I pay Dante and his whore a little visit_

* * *

After lunch they started walking to the same restricted area in the forest as the other time, but now they went even further until they found a clearing where they thought it would be safe to burn the file. Dante took the lighter and the big folder out of the bag and was about to lit it on fire but was interrupted.

\- I want to do it – she told him grabbing the lighter

He nodded and gave her the lighter and the file. He put his arm around her waist as they both watched for a while as the flames slowly consumed the paper.

\- It's done, it's in the past now – he said once the fire extinguished

She sighed and looked up at him smiling, it actually felt good watching that thing burn to ashes.

\- Now we can start the practice – she told him excited

\- Sure, we'll try a bigger distance this time

And so, the shooting practice began. Dante was standing about 150 feet away from her while holding and throwing empty cans for her to shoot, and once again she was aiming perfectly. He even went as far as placing a can on his head for her to shoot at, and she did it perfectly, with so much ease that he was utterly impressed. Sadly, their fun wouldn't last for too long.

\- SOMEONE HELP ME! – They heard a loud female scream from afar – PLEASE!

\- Did you hear that Dante?! We have to help her! – Helena said as she started running in the direction of the voice

\- Helena wait! – he said running after her

Something inside of her urged her to help the woman in danger, she had been in that position before and didn't want anyone else to go through something like what she lived, so she didn't pay attention to Dante and kept running. He ran as fast as he could, surprised at how fast she actually was, but still after a few seconds he was about to catch up to her when suddenly the trees in front of him moved blocking his path, making him almost ran face first into the newly created wall made of crooked branches.

 _What the fuck?_

Dante looked around realizing they were not in the same forest anymore but in the Limbo version of it, it was a trap.

\- Fuck! – He cursed – Helena wait! We are in Limbo!

Unfortunately, she couldn't listen to him and she couldn't realize they were in Limbo as the forest in front of her still looked pretty normal. Dante summoned Osiris to cut through the trees faster, but as he was doing so, the ground began to open and some lesser demons began to appear, making things a lot more complicated for him. Helena was nowhere to be found but he realized the trees kept moving, blocking his way only in one direction so she had to be there.

Helena arrived to another clearing and saw the thing that had been screaming for help, it was not human, it had a female shape but her skin and hair were bluish and it had something like a shield around her. When she turned to see if Dante was near she realized in horror the path was blocked.

\- We meet at last – she heard a male voice say behind her

Helena turned around and couldn't believe her eyes, there was a man that looked exactly like Dante, but there was something different about him besides the hairstyle and clothes, he appeared to be mentally unstable and deranged, like he had just escaped from an insane asylum. There was no doubt, he had to be Vergil. She looked nervously at the katana he had in his left hand, that's probably what he used to kill that girl named Kat.

Vergil was far enough from her that she thought she could escape running. Being Dante's twin meant the gun she still had in her hands was useless against him so she started running in the opposite direction, but after only a couple of steps he appeared in front of her out of nowhere, almost as if he had teleported, making her run right into him knocking her over backwards, the impact felt like running into a concrete wall.

\- You can't run away from me – he said with eyes cold as ice

A wicked smile formed on his face as he grabbed her by the hair, pulled her up violently and held her against him with one arm wrapped around her neck, almost choking her. She tried to move his arm and elbowed him in the ribs but he wasn't moving an inch, it was like fighting against a stone statue, he was way too strong.

\- Come on, call your dear boyfriend, so you can see how useless he is – Vergil said as he snatched the gun away from her with his free hand

In that moment some of the crooked trees in the area were cut to pieces as Dante came running, but when he saw Vergil holding Helena he froze, he felt a lump form in his throat. He was too late, once again.

For someone who was almost strangled to death, having Vergil's arm around her neck was a totally nerve wrecking thing, but she tried her best to appear as calm as possible so as not to freak out Dante.

\- I think this is yours – Vergil said throwing Ivory next to Dante, he knew Dante wouldn't try anything as long as he had a hold on her

Dante just looked at his gun, without even picking it up, he was sure Vergil was capable of anything so he had to think very well before acting.

\- You are pathetic Dante, I killed that witch Kat and what are you doing about it? Nothing. Look at you, you don't even want to pick up your gun because you are scared I'm going to break your whore's neck, you are such a disgrace!

Vergil waited a moment to see if Dante dared to talk back, but just as he thought, his brother remained silent, so he continued.

\- You see Dante, I always knew you weren't the brightest individual, but I never thought you were actually this stupid – Vergil said with an air of superiority - Out of all the women in the world, you had to fall for the one that I was after! God I'm surprised we are even related

\- Let her go Vergil!

\- I don't think so, I had my eyes on her before you even knew she existed, I've been looking for this girl ever since the day you betrayed me – he said with hatred in his voice - but I'm sure you have no idea what I'm talking about since you've always been so ignorant

\- Why? Why were you after her? – Dante replied sounding completely concerned

\- I won't illuminate that decaying brain of yours on that matter, but don't take it personal, it's truly a shame you fell in love with her, I guess some people are simply destined to suffer, like both of you – Vergil said looking at Helena, tightening his grip on her and then looking at his very distressed brother – I know what happened to her, poor thing, don't you think?

Dante's expression quickly changed from worried to shocked

\- You know? How?

\- Unlike you, I like to plan things first Dante. A little over six months ago I had some demons try to drag this girl into Limbo to make sure she was the one I was looking for, but unfortunately, they couldn't, that made me believe she was just a mere useless human so I was about to discard her, but since all my calculations pointed at her I kept a close eye on her for months to see if there were any signs, something that could confirm my theory, anything; until one day… well you already know what happened, I saw how weak and helpless she was, if she had been _the one_ she would have easily beaten those men, but she couldn't do anything, which made me believe again that she was just a human, so I had to start my search again from scratch. However, after months of research, everything kept pointing at her so I decided to do one last test and sent some more demons after her to try to drag her into Limbo once again and guess what, she could be dragged into Limbo! But that's when you appeared, getting in my way once again. Now you might be wondering how is that possible, I think that after being so close to death some of her "abilities" began to manifest, but there are others that are still hidden and I need to find out how to bring those out

Helena was convinced Vergil was completely delusional. He was saying she could have easily beaten them, he was crazy, there was no way. She had fought them off with all her strength and was not even close to get rid of them. However, Dante saw some sense in what he was saying, the first thing that came to his mind when Vergil mentioned she had some "abilities" was her insane skills with guns, but still he didn't understand what he meant with Helena being _the one_ , the one for what? Nevertheless, there was something that Vergil said that completely disturbed him.

\- You were watching her when she was attacked? You could have stopped them…

Vergil laughed as if Dante had said the most absurd thing in the world

\- Why would I have done that? The one who said he would protect humans was you, not me

\- You are a sick fuck Vergil – Dante said with his face full of repulsion

He faked being offended by Dante's words

\- I didn't watch the whole thing if that's what you are thinking, I had more important things to do, but tell me Dante, what where you doing while she was being raped? Oh that's right, you were getting drunk and crying over that witch's death, so much for mankind's protector! Maybe if you had listened to me none of that would've happened, I told you humans needed someone to rule them, you have seen what they do with freedom, they kill, they steal, they rape – he said looking at her – but you didn't want to listen, everything is your fault

Helena could see the guilt growing in Dante's eyes, Vergil's words were truly getting through his head.

\- Don't listen to him Dante!

\- Shut up! – Vergil said tightening the grip on her neck making her gasp for air

By that point Dante was starting to look frantic

\- Vergil… please – he said with a hint of despair in his voice

Vergil laughed once again

\- Now you are begging! Wow I never imagined I'd see this day… you are far more pathetic than I thought… well, since you like begging so much, why don't you kneel?

Dante just stayed there looking at Vergil with pure rage in his eyes.

\- Don't do it – she tried saying in a choked voice

Seeing his brother wasn't planning on kneeling, Vergil yanked Helena by the hair fiercely causing her to whine in pain. Dante instantly dropped to his knees looking to the ground, he'd never felt so humiliated in all his life, but he was willing to swallow his pride for her, he just couldn't bear watching her getting hurt and Vergil seemed to be enjoying every second of it.

\- This is just too much fun, but I can't waste any more time with you brother – he said as he snapped his fingers

As soon as he did that three Dreamrunners appeared between the two Nephilim. Dante got up rapidly summoning Rebellion, but in a blink of an eye Vergil opened a portal with Yamato and before Dante could do anything, they were gone. She was gone.


	15. Chapter 15

**Hello everyone, so in this chapter I'm trying to tell two things that happen simultaneously so I hope that came out ok and also I make reference to some things that actually happened and were mentioned in the game so I hope you remember those escenes. Enjoy :)**

* * *

Chapter 15:

Dante went ballistic on the three Dreamrunnes and the Witch demon that were still in the forest, he shred them to pieces in under a minute. He was pissed, like he had never been before, he was pissed at Vergil, he hated him with every single fiber of his being, but more than anything he was pissed at himself for allowing him take her. He should have run faster, why did she have to run away like that? Why did she have to be so kind she wanted to help others instead of thinking about her own safety?

He should have guessed the thing screaming for help was a filthy demon, but he didn't know Vergil could command demons so easily now, why would they even obey him? It didn't make sense, demons despised Nephilims and furthermore, they despised Sparda and anything that had to do with him, and now they were submitting to the Nephilim son of Sparda… hell, nothing seemed to make sense at the moment.

As Dante was returning to the human world, the immediate feeling of rage was beginning to subdue, but another sensation was filling his body, it was fear. He really wasn't familiar with that feeling since nothing could actually scare him, but this time he was, he was afraid of losing her, he was worried sick for her life and well-being. To make things worse, he had no idea where Vergil could've taken her, he didn't even know why he was after her in the first place, what was he supposed to do now? How was he supposed to help her if he was so clueless about everything? He tried to remember all the things that Vergil said. For some reason he seemed to think Helena wasn't human and the only hint Dante had about that was the necklace she always wore, he had to find out what it meant, but how?

Dante began walking back and forth as he racked his brain thinking of a way to discover the meaning behind the symbol of Helena's necklace. He only discovered the meaning behind the similar symbol on his back thanks for Vergil. Aside from Mundus and his demon servants, Vergil was the only one that knew the story of their parents, the only one that knew about Eva and Sparda, about his orig… No, he wasn't the only one, there was someone else, someone he met at Bob Barbas' tower, a demon named Phineas, Sparda's old friend and political prisoner of Mundus, he also knew a lot about Nephilims, he seemed to know a lot about everything.

Dante then remembered one of the last things Kat learned before dying was demon summoning. It was a safe way to invoke the creatures into the human world within a circle of magic, it was supposed to be safe since the demon wouldn't be able to walk past the circle. Kat had everything prepared to try it, but never actually did it, she was killed before she could. He was hoping it would work, and even if it did, he was hoping Phineas could give him at least a clue of what was going on. So, with that in mind, he bolted back to his apartment.

* * *

The sensation of going through the portal felt weird, almost tingling, but it only lasted a fraction of a second as she found herself in what looked like the basement of a very old house, it must have been a huge house because the place was big and wide. But she didn't have time to look very well at her surroundings because as soon as they both stepped into the room, Vergil pushed her forward with so much strength she fell on her face.

As soon as she felt he had let go of her neck she drew in a big breath and started coughing as she grabbed her throat, she was glad he had finally released her since she was already starting to have a very hard time breathing. She rolled to face him and noticed he was staring at her necklace.

\- Give me the necklace – he said extending his hand

She knew asking for the thing was just a cordiality for him since he could easily take it by force, but she couldn't give it to him just like that, it was her mother's and at least she deserved to know why he wanted it.

\- It's just a piece of jewelry, why do you want it? – she said as she slowly stood up

\- With that I'll be one step closer to becoming the ruler of both demons and humans – he answered grinning

Hearing that made her remember everything Dante had told her about Vergil and how he had used him to defeat Mundus so he could take his place as the new Demon Emperor.

\- You can't enslave mankind, what have humans ever done to you?

\- I have a better question, why do you care? What have humans ever done for you besides hurting you and using you like a toy?

She remained silent for a couple of seconds and looked to the floor knowing that he was partially right, it was humans the ones that had hurt her and had done whatever they wanted with her as if she was just an object, but still, humanity couldn't be condemned for the actions of a few.

\- Despite everything that happened I'm not angry and pissed off at the world, I know there's good people that don't deserve to have their freedom taken away by a demented psycho!

Vergil snickered and rolled his eyes, he was tired of the same old bullshit about humans deserving freedom. They didn't, and even if they did, he didn't care anymore, he just wanted to become the most powerful being on earth and rule over everything.

\- I can see now why you and stupid Dante get along

\- Why do you hate him? He is your brother… and why did you have to kill that girl Kat? She was your friend!

\- If you don't shut up, I'm going to cut your tongue out – he said, his patience running out

One thing she had learned about Vergil is that he was dead serious, he was capable of doing that and worse.

\- If you do that I'll die and as far as I'm concerned you wanted me alive or you would have killed me already

He gave her a kind of surprised look.

\- You actually do use your brain, unlike my idiotic brother. Now I won't ask again, give me Assiel's necklace – he said sternly

* * *

Dante arrived to his apartment panting, he had never ran that much that fast in his life. He began looking for Kat's stuff in the closet, the paper stencil for the summoning clearly stood out from the others as it was much bigger. He grabbed the stencil and the spray can he needed. He remembered Kat told him the thing had to be done in the open so he was going to have to return to the forest, but before leaving, he took a piece of paper and quickly draw the symbol on Helena's necklace as best as he could, once that was done he rushed to his motorcycle and back to the woods.

* * *

Helena froze in shock when she heard that name, how the hell did Vergil know her mother's name?

\- H…how do you even…?

\- I guess I know more about your mother than you do yourself

Vergil then quickly grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her closer to him so he could take the necklace. Helena tried to push him away in vain. Seeing her pathetic attempt to free herself made him grin, there was something truly scary about that smile. He intentionally tightened the grip on her wrist slowly as she kept trying to get away from him, the pain gradually increased until she felt her bones crushing in excruciating pain making her scream. She was sure that the bones in her wrist had fractured in more than one place.

\- Oops – he said sarcastically letting go of her and taking the necklace

She grabbed her now numb wrist and looked at him, he stared at the necklace for a couple of seconds before putting it in his pocket and then focused his attention on her, looking expectantly at her injured hand, as if waiting for something to happen. But, as seconds passed his expression slowly changed, turning dark and dangerous, he looked pissed.

\- Why aren't you healing? – he demanded to know

Healing? He thinks she can heal just like him and Dante? The guy is clearly out of his mind. She would have laughed at him if it wasn't for the pain and the fact that she was tired of him believing she was something she clearly wasn't.

\- Look, I don't know who the fuck you think I am, but I'm obviously not the person you are looking for… if I could heal, my body wouldn't be covered in scars you dumbass!

Vergil's expression changed once again, it now was somewhere in between anger and confusion.

\- Scars? – he asked sounding muddled

She could presage it, he was going to go berserk on her once he realized he had wasted an entire year following and stalking the wrong girl. The fact that he thought she could heal only confirmed her theory of him being completely insane, after all, he had crazy written all over him.

In a hasty move Vergil grabbed her broken wrist again and ripped off her shirt and saw that she was in fact telling the truth. She tried to slap him with her good hand but he grabbed it before it reached his face. After a couple of seconds of him staring, he let go of her and turned around as he thought. Even if she was not a full Nephilim and her healing factor was not as fast as his, her wounds should be able to heal eventually and leave no marks.

\- I don't understand… can it still be hidden? – he said to himself

He remembered that the other time she could only be dragged into Limbo after being about to die, could that mean that she needed to be on the verge of dying again for her supposedly healing factor to work? He turned again to face her, this time he looked more sadistic than ever.

\- If I have to break every single bone in your body to make it work, I will

She knew it, her broken wrist was going to be just the tip of the iceberg in the pain scale for her. Maybe Vergil was right, maybe she was simply destined to suffer after all.

* * *

\- Phineas! – Dante exclaimed once he saw the summoning had worked, it was amazing how Kat would still be helping him even in death

\- Dante? – the demon said surprised to see the one who had summoned him was the demon hunter

\- I need your help, you are the wisest person or demon I know – he took the piece of paper with his drawing out of his pocket – tell me you know what this is

Phineas examined the drawing for a moment before speaking

\- The key… - he said almost whispering

\- The key? What key? – Dante replied impatiently

Phineas looked at Dante, he was a little surprised the Nephilim didn't know about it.

\- Dante, why do you think your father is considered a traitor and is loathed by most demons in Hell?

\- Because he fell in love with an angel – he said as if the answer was obvious

The old demon laughed at his statement. Dante's patience was running out and he was starting to regret having called him for help.

\- Look, I don't have time for this crap

\- Oh please Dante, don't be so naïve, the love story is only a small part of the reason. You see, many years ago Sparda shut the portal to the demonic realm and sealed the evil entities off from the human world, including his own demonic power, that's why nowadays it's very difficult for demons to cross to this world and we have to settle with Limbo

Dante was shocked to hear that, his father did all of that, sacrificing his own power just to protect humans even when he was a demon, and all this time he had loathed the fact that he had demon blood running through his veins, maybe that didn't automatically turned him into a monster like he had thought. Aside from the surprise of that realization Dante was taken aback by the fact that he had never heard that story before.

\- Vergil never told me anything about this…

\- Perhaps he never wanted you to know

That deceitful motherfucker he had for a brother had hid all of that from him.

\- That piece of shit! – He made pause to get his thoughts together – You are telling me that this thing I drew is the key to Sparda's gate?

\- One of the keys, yes

\- But it can't be, this thing was being carried by a human girl, why would she have one of the keys to the underworld?

\- I'm afraid I do not know that, the last I knew is that the key belonged to the Nephilim Assiel. Assiel holds the key, remember?

Dante remembered her indeed, she was the Nephilim whose soul had been imprisoned in a large statue near Bob Barbas tower, the same place where he had met Phineas. He could recall him saying that she held the key, at that time he thought he meant the key to his Devil Trigger, but apparently there was more to it. But why would Helena have that key now?

And then, realization hit him like a punch in the gut. Assiel was the woman in the picture in Helena's apartment, he was sure, that's why she looked so familiar to him. Did that mean Helena was Assiel's daughter? But she didn't have any Nephilim powers and besides, it didn't make sense at all.

\- I thought you said Assiel was an ancient Nephilim – Dante said remembering what Phineas told him back then - I'm pretty sure I've seen a picture of her taken less a twenty years ago

\- Oh one thing you should know about Assiel is that she was well trained in the arts of angelic and demonic magic, which allowed her to live much longer than any other Nephilim

\- Ok… - he said as everything was sinking in - and… do you know if Assiel had a daughter?

\- Nobody knows, the last thing that was heard of her is that she hid amongst humans before Mundus found her and killed her, but I honestly don't think that she would have risked having children considering her blood is one of the other keys.

\- What? Explain yourself

\- Sparda used three keys to seal his gate, the first one was Eva's amulets – he said looking to Dante's red amulet – the second was Assiel's key, and the third one was Nephilim's blood. Now when that happened neither you or your brother existed and the only known Nephilim in the world was Assiel and she was also a close friend of Eva and Sparda, so they used her blood to seal the gate, and of course, the only way to open it again is with the three keys

\- So that means it can't be opened since Assiel is dead… unless she had children…

\- Exactly, like I said, I don't think she would have risked mankind's fate like that… she was always so calculating and astute…

\- You might be wrong Phineas, I think she had a daughter…

* * *

Helena felt the warm liquid streaming down one side of her face and staining the floor underneath her, she was bleeding heavily after Vergil smashed her head against a mirror several times, she was on the floor wishing for the thing to be over while he waited to see if she would heal the nasty cut on her left temple, but nothing was happening, the blood just wouldn't stop coming out, which meant he needed to go further. He walked to where she was lying and stomped on her right leg, crushing it underneath his shoe, the pain of the bones breaking was unbearable. She cried out in agony and just when she thought the pain could not get any worse, he kicked her on the side and again she felt that excruciating pain of her bones shattering, she was sure her now broken ribs were puncturing her lung because even breathing became awfully painful.

\- Come on! Heal! – he kept staring at her expectantly

It was ridiculous how easy it was for him to break her bones as if she was made out of crystal. She thought the most disturbing thing about it all was the fact that the person that was literally beating her to death looked exactly like the person she loved the most. She was beginning to pass out from the pain, it was the second time in her life that would happen but, just like the other time, her aggressor didn't want her to miss out on anything.

\- No! You can't pass out!

She felt her cheek burning as he slapped her so hard he left a red hand-print on her face and blood began to drip from her mouth.

\- I don't get it! – Vergil growled out of frustration, realizing that if he went any further he was going to end up killing her

Vergil knew that since she was supposed to be half human and her blood was not that of a pure Nephilim the amount of blood required to open the gate would have to be more and if she didn't have a healing factor she would die before the gate could be opened.

He remembered what he had read about Assiel while doing his research, she was described as being extremely guileful and cunning with the power to cast several kinds of spells and enchantments, she was quite famous for her memory manipulation spells, all of which helped her survive for so long, some say even since Ancient Greek times, until one day somehow she made a mistake and was found and murdered by Mundus. His research led him to believe that in the last years of her life she married a human man and had a daughter with him, but nobody really knew for sure, maybe Helena was not Assiel's biological daughter after all since she was as weak and vulnerable as any human. Knowing how deceiving Assiel was, it wouldn't surprise him if she had use this human girl only as a decoy and had hid her real daughter somewhere else.

\- Who would have thought? It turns out you are not Assiel's biological daughter

By that point Helena didn't know what to believe anymore, she remembered her mother being as normal as anyone could be, but Vergil seemed to be convinced her mother was someone important and now he was telling her she had been adopted? Fuck him, she was fed up with his bullshit, but was too weak and in too much pain to say anything.

\- Nonetheless, you can still be useful to me – He said as he grabbed her by the jaw and slightly lifted her head from the floor - You are still Dante's weakness… I can't wait to see his face when he sees you

When he sees her? No, she absolutely didn't want Dante to see her in such a deplorable state, she knew that would only hurt him. It would be better if Vergil just killed her right there, right now, so in what could be considered a daring death wish, she spat all the blood she had inside her mouth to Vergil's face. He slowly wiped it away and grinned. Definitely not what she was expecting.

\- I'm not going to kill you if that's what you want, not before torturing Dante first

But of course he wasn't going to let the act pass without retaliation. He proceeded to stomp repeatedly on her broken leg, increasing the already agonizing pain even more until dark spots began filling her vision, her brain was slowly shutting down, but just before that could happen, he stopped.

\- Put on your best face, we are going to see Dante now

Her vision was blurry so she couldn't see his face but she felt how he lifted her up by the hair and began dragging her again trough one of his portals.

* * *

So, if Helena was Assiel's daughter that meant Vergil wanted to use her blood to open Sparda's gate, the thought of that made Dante nauseous.

\- You have to tell me where the gate is! – he ordered Phineas

\- But the gate cannot be opened without your amulet

\- I know, but Vergil might kill her if I don't get there on time

\- Maybe that's exactly what he wants, to draw you there and take your amulet

\- I don't care! I have to save her! – he shouted

\- I can see this girl you are talking about means something to you – Phineas said adjusting his mechanical eye

\- She means everything to me, I have to… - he stopped talking when he noticed one of Vergil's portals was opening right in front of them

Nothing could have prepared him for what he saw next. A gasp escaped his lips and he felt like someone had stabbed him in the heart when he saw her.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16:

Vergil came through the portal grabbing Helena by the hair, she was on her knees faintly trying to pry his fingers from her hair with one hand. Dante gazed in dismay the grievous injuries she had sustained. She had and awful cut on the left side of her forehead which had caused that side of her face to be completely covered in blood, while the other side had a dark purple bruise in the shape of a hand, she also had blood coming out of her mouth. Since she was shirtless he was able to notice she had the biggest and worst bruise he had ever seen on her right side, which meant her ribs were probably broken, and if that wasn't enough he could also tell her leg was bent in an unnatural angle.

Dante struggled to hold the tears back, tears of wrath and sorrow, he couldn't bear to see her in so much pain, but he couldn't break down in front of her, he had to show her and let her know everything was going to be alright. Helena was half unconscious, but still was awake enough to know what was happening. Her vision was still a little blurry but she could see Dante's face, he looked absolutely afflicted and anguished, she immediately felt terrible for making him feel that way. However, Dante's expression completely changed when he looked at Vergil, he realized his hands were now trembling with rage, but he couldn't lose control either, he had to keep it together since Vergil was faster than him and could hurt her even more or kill her.

\- Who's your friend Dante? – Vergil asked noticing his brother wasn't alone and looked at the old demon standing in the magic circle

Dante turned to look at Phineas who was carefully examining both Vergil and Helena with his mechanical eye. After a few seconds he turned and gave Dante a certain look, as if he wanted to tell him something really important but couldn't say it in front of Vergil. Dante gave him a quick nod, letting him know he had caught the meaning behind his unspoken words. And with that, Phineas vanished, leaving no trace behind him.

\- What's wrong Dante? Has the cat got your tongue? You usually have an awful lot to say – Vergil said provocatively - Oh I know, the blood is upsetting you. My apologies, I think I was a little too rough on her

\- Why did you do it? – Dante replied, his jaw clenched so hard, one could practically hear his teeth grinding - If you hate me that much why don't you come and fight me like a man?! Stop being a fucking coward!

\- You should be thanking me for not having killed her already, trust me I was close to doing it, but then I thought about you and how sad you would get if I did that, so I decided to bring her here just for you! – Vergil said as he violently grabbed Helena's jaw and tilted her head back so Dante could clearly see her battered face

\- I'm going to fucking kill you! – Dante shouted

Vergil chuckled, it was too entertaining for him watching his brother getting so mad but not being able to do anything about it, pathetic as usual.

\- I would like to see you try. But relax, I have good news for you, it turns out she was not the girl I was looking for

Dante was really shocked to hear that. It meant that Phineas was right after all, Assiel never had a daughter because it would be too risky, but how is it that she was in Helena's family portrait? And if she wasn't her daughter then why did she have the key?

\- What…? She is not Assiel's daughter? – Dante asked sounding concerned

Vergil raised his brow in surprise, he didn't think Dante would even know who Assiel was. But he guessed that the old demon he was talking to had told him the story of their father's gate and the three keys.

\- I'm impressed Dante, for once you seem to know something. And yes, she is not Assiel's biological daughter. I thought I could use her to open Sparda's gate, but apparently the only thing she's good for is opening her legs to strangers, am I not right Dante? – he asked mockingly

In that moment a bullet flew past Vergil's head, grazing his cheekbone. It would have hit him right in the middle of the face if he didn't have good reflexes and hadn't moved just in time. Vergil wiped the blood away with the back of his hand and glared at Dante. He was holding one of his guns out looking livid, eyes full of hatred.

\- Do that again – Vergil said as he cowardly put Yamato near Helena's neck – and I'll slice her into so many pieces you won't even be able to bury her

\- You joke about that one more time and I'll rip your fucking guts out with my bare hands and shove them down your throat!

Dante was aware that trying to shoot Vergil in the face was reckless and probably a stupid thing to do, but he simply couldn't contain himself. Vergil on the other hand was kind of shocked Dante would even dare to do something like that given the circumstances.

\- Alright, let's cut to the chase then. I want to make you a deal Dante. Give me your amulet and I'll give you the girl

The proposition sounded too good and easy to be truth, especially considering the one speaking was Vergil. Dante thought of the last time Vergil had the intention to make a trade. It was when they tried to trade Kat for Lilith and how Vergil shot and killed Lilith halfway through the deal, before Kat was even in a safe place, and that happened before he lost his sanity, who knows what he would be capable of doing now. He simply couldn't trust him, but he had no choice if he wanted to rescue her, so he took off the red amulet from his neck and held it in his hand.

\- Let her go first

\- I don't think you are in any position to tell me what to do, so give me the amulet first and then I'll let her go

Dante doubted for a single second because he knew how treacherous Vergil could be, but that brief moment of doubt was enough to irritate Vergil. He lightly touched Helena's neck with Yamato, instantly forming a thin red line of blood and making her wince in pain. Dante panicked and immediately threw the amulet to Vergil, who easily caught it midair as a smile appeared on his face. Now that he had both amulets and the key, the only thing missing was finding Assiel's real daughter and he would become the most powerful being on earth. Still, he was surprised by how easy it was for him to obtain Dante's amulet, he thought his brother was going to put on a hell of a fight, but his pathetic love for a human made him weak.

\- You would actually compromise mankind's future for a girl! You know Dante, you should really think less with your dick and more with your head

\- Shut up Vergil! You have the goddamned amulet! Let her go! – Dante replied sounding completely desperate

Vergil laughed at him, he loved having the upper hand over Dante, and now, he was going to make him pay for betraying him and getting in his way.

\- Fine – Vergil said as he turned his attention to Helena – It was fun while it lasted, but it's time to say goodbye

The moment she heard those words her heart stopped for a second. It was the exact same thing one of her rapists told her just before he tried to strangle her to death. And then it hit her, Vergil wasn't going to let her go, he was going to kill her, right there, in front of Dante, knowing that nothing would hurt him more.

It's funny how life works. For three months all she wanted was to have died that day in that alley and now that she finally was glad to have survived that, now that she finally felt happy with her life and had found a ray of hope in the form of an arrogant but caring demon hunter, now it was when death was coming to her. It was like a very cruel joke of fate.

She looked over at Dante with sadness in her eyes because everything was her fault and now he was going to be one paying for it. In that second she hated herself for making him care about her. This was the exact reason why he didn't want to fall in love with anyone, because he didn't want to get hurt again, and now he was about to. At least all the pain would be over for her, but not for him, he was going to have to live with it. A single tear ran down her face, she would have liked to at least have the chance to say goodbye to him, to thank him once again for everything he had done for her, to kiss him one last time, to see his arrogant smirk or listen to one of his silly jokes once again, but she wasn't going to get any of that. Her time had come.

Helena felt Vergil's sword going through her chest, right through the heart. Surprisingly, it wasn't painful, it was just numbing. She was right, the pain was finally over. More blood spilled out of her mouth as she slipped into darkness. The last thing she saw was Dante's silhouette falling to his knees and then everything went black.

A scream tore itself from Dante's throat and he felt his heart shattering into pieces as he witnessed the gruesome act. He sank to his hands and knees in disbelieve trying to assimilate what had just happened, it couldn't be true. He wasn't able to hold back anymore, tears rushed down his face, wetting the ground underneath him. He didn't want to accept that she was dead, gone forever.

Vergil kicked her dead body off his blade. A pool of blood instantly formed under her body as he looked disgusted at the blood in his sword before putting Yamato back in its sheath.

\- You know Dante, you may think that I killed Kat just to piss you off, but I didn't. I killed her because, just like you, she was a traitor. It was her fault that you betrayed me, she deserved it. But now it's different, now I killed your dear girlfriend for the sole reason of seeing you suffer… it's such a shame, she was too beautiful to die so young – Vergil said grinning the hole time

Dante glared at him, the amount of rage he was feeling at that moment couldn't compare to anything he had experienced before. He was about to stand up and charge at Vergil to slaughter him when he felt a mind-numbing pain in his chest. It was so intense, so excruciating that he couldn't even move. The physical pain had started to blend together with the heartache he felt in the beginning to the point he couldn't separate them anymore. He barely managed to place his hand over his heart as he growled in pain, not comprehending what was wrong with him, and not even being able to get his thoughts straight. He was feeling as if something was literally tearing him from the inside. He had never been in so much pain in his life, and to make it worse, it began spreading through the rest of his body. The pain reminded him of the time when he first triggered, that time he felt like he was being stabbed multiple times with burning hot blades, this time was infinitely worse.

Vergil didn't understand why his brother seemed to be in complete and utter agony, not emotionally but physically. He stared at him from afar, trying to see if he had any visible wounds or something that could be possibly hurting him that bad. Still, he thought the whole thing was amusing and couldn't help but smile at the scene, he didn't even need to do anything, it seemed like Dante was dying on his own. However, after a few seconds his smile completely faded and shock grew in its place. Dante was transforming.

Dante looked at his own hands in horror, they were changing into something that didn't seem human at all, they started looking more like claws now. He wondered what the hell was happening to him. Was he finally turning into the thing he was so afraid of becoming? A demon, a monster? His vision was turning red and blurry, and then he couldn't remember anything else.

Vergil stepped back and couldn't believe his eyes when he saw that Dante had turned into a full demon. He wondered if that was the true form of the Devil Trigger, but his thoughts were rapidly interrupted when he saw the thing that once was his brother stand up, looking vicious. What happened next probably only lasted a fraction of a second. Vergil saw the demon coming at him and he tried to escape using a portal. He barely made it to the other side in one piece, or so he thought.

When he found himself back in his lair, he felt a burning pain in the abdomen and instinctively put his arm around it as he felt something coming up his throat, it was blood. He looked down only to realize he was practically holding his own guts in with his arm. Dante had opened up his stomach with his bare hands, just like he said he would.

\- Fuck! – he cursed under his breath, clutching his stomach to keep his guts from spilling out

It had been close, very close, but he knew that he would be able to heal the wound. He was incredible upset over the fact that Dante's new Devil Trigger only made him faster and stronger than before. He was starting to regret having killed Helena and therefore unleashing the beast within his brother. This only meant one thing, he had to obtain Sparda's power at any cost now if he wanted to defeat Dante.

* * *

Dante collapsed on the ground, not remembering what had happened while being triggered. He slowly got up and noticed his hands were covered in blood, it had to be Vergil's. He looked around but he was nowhere to be found so he assumed he must have escaped with one of his portals, but at least he got a piece of him.

And then he remembered, Helena was dead, Vergil had killed her. He ran towards her and fell down on the ground before her. Tears began running down his face again as he cradled her dead body against him. He felt like this was a cruel and perverse nightmare, it just couldn't be real. Images of her flashed in his head, remembering all the moments they shared, as friends, as lovers; but he was never going to get her back, he was never going to see her smile or hear the beautiful sound of her laughter again, and that was too much to bear for him. He gasped for a breath between the tears, the burning physical pain was gone but his heart was still aching, he didn't know that kind or level of pain even existed, but it did and he was feeling every ounce of it.

He hugged her tightly as he pressed his lips against her forehead. She didn't deserve to die, not like this. Anger overwhelmed his body and flood his veins at how unfair this was, how unfair life had been to her. The words she once told him kept repeating in his head: "No matter what happens to me Dante, no matter if you can't save me in the end, you'll always be my hero for everything that you've already done for me" The horrible sense of failure and guilt washed over him as he couldn't stop crying. He had failed miserably in his attempt to save and protect her, but most importantly, he had failed her.

\- I'm sorry – he whispered, choking on his tears - I'm so sorry

He felt how the last bit of humanity he had left had just died along with her. This was it, if life was going to rip everything he loved away from him, then so be it. He would never try to protect anyone else ever again, he wouldn't care about saving mankind anymore. His only purpose in life now was to take revenge, to kill Vergil.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17:

Darkness. That was the only thing she could perceive since she couldn't even feel her own body anymore. She wasn't even sure if her eyes were open or not until a blinding light filled the space forcing her to shut them as the awareness of her body began to come back. The light was so intense she had to cover her face with her hands, and remained like that until she heard something cutting the dead silence, it was the ticking of a clock. She slowly uncovered her eyes and found herself in her childhood home. Everything was so vivid that it didn't seem like a simple memory, it was as if she was actually there. She had read once that after dying a person's brain still has around seven minutes of activity in which your life flashes before your eyes, so that's probably what was happening.

The house was just how she remembered it, quite big, with large windows and full of antiques that her mother liked to collect. She saw a calendar on one of the living room tables, but when she tried to grab it her hand went right through it, as if she was only a ghost there. Helena still managed to see the date, it was exactly two weeks before her parents were murdered. She remembered that it was from that day that her mother began to act strange after receiving the visit from someone, but she just couldn't remember who. Her mother's strange behavior began with the removal of every single family picture from their house, then, she didn't let her play outside anymore and the weirdest thing, she told her she was going to be home schooled from that day.

Everything was quiet in the house, but then she heard a little girl's laughter filling the room. Helena turned and saw amazed the six year old version of herself running across the living room before sitting on one of the couches. The girl had a book in her hands and began reading it joyfully. Helena smiled remembering how much she used to like reading as a kid, especially fairy tales.

Not even a minute went by when the doorbell began ringing repeatedly. Helena looked at the front door and frowned. This moment was one of the many blank spaces she had in her memory. The only thing she knew is that after this very instant her life changed completely and that whoever was behind that door was responsible for the death of her parents.

\- Honey, can you open the door? – a female voice said from another room

Helena immediately recognized it even if it had been so many years since she last listened to that voice. It was her mother, Assiel.

\- Sure mom – the girl answered getting off the sofa

Helena couldn't believe it was her the one that opened the door. Why couldn't she remember any of this? She watched nervously as the child walked towards the front door. Helena felt her muscles tensing, she would finally know why her parents were killed and was about to face the responsible for it. However, when the door opened and she saw the three people standing there, her jaw dropped in disbelieve. Something inside of her knew exactly who they were, it just couldn't be. Life indeed works in mysterious and unexpected ways.

The little girl was bewildered as she stared at the huge man in front of her. He was incredibly tall and seemed to be very strong and powerful, but for some reason he looked dejected and miserable. His silver white hair was hanging slightly over his tired eyes.

\- Hello Helena – the man greeted kindly – you probably don't remember me. Last time I saw you, you were just a baby… is your mother home?

The girl just nodded still impressed by the man's massive figure, but then her attention went to the other people with him, two boys around her age. One of them had the same white hair as the man and was holding him by the hand, and the other one had dark brown hair and was being carried by his father, he had his small face buried in the man's shoulder.

\- Who was it Helena? – Her mother said coming into the living room

When Assiel saw who was standing at her door she seemed to be as shocked as her daughter. It had been years since the last time she saw her dear friend Sparda.

\- Hello Assiel, I'm sorry for the sudden visit

\- Oh my God, what happened? – she replied noticing the devastated expression on his face

Assiel knew that if Sparda had come to her, then it meant something awful had happened as they had agreed five years before that it wouldn't be safe to see each other again in order to keep the children hidden from Mundus. She realized Eva was not with him and feared the worst, so she decided it was better to discuss the issue somewhere else.

\- Please come in – she told him and then turned to Helena – Honey, please stay here with Dante and Vergil, ok?

\- Who? – the little girl asked confused

Her mother was about to say something but was cut off by one of the boys.

\- Hi, I'm Vergil – the boy with white hair answered and then pointed at the other boy whose face was still hidden – and he is my brother Dante

\- Oh, nice to meet you! My name is Helena – she greeted him with a big smile and then looked curiously at the other boy who didn't even bothered to look at her

\- They came to visit when you were just one year old and they were two – Assiel explained – you surely don't remember each other

Vergil and Helena stared at each other for a second before they both shook their heads.

\- Come on Dante – Sparda told his son who didn't want to let go of him – I'll be right back

The dark haired boy finally let go of him and Helena could finally see his face, he looked as devastated as his father and he seemed to have been crying. The three kids sat on the fluffy carpet of the living room as the girl couldn't keep her eyes off him.

\- What happened? – She asked Dante in a concerned voice - Why are you so sad?

Helena had always been a very empathic person, even as a kid, so seeing him like that made her feel terrible. But the boy simply ignored her and remained silent without even looking at her.

\- Yesterday… - Vergil was the one that spoke as his expression began to sadden too – our mother was murdered…

When Vergil said that, Dante buried his face between his knees. It was clear he was the most affected of the twins. A gasp of horror escaped from the little girl's mouth.

\- I'm so sorry! That's awful… – she said in shock and then went to hug Dante

\- What are you doing? – he finally spoke lifting his head after a couple of seconds

\- I'm just hugging you - she said with an innocent look on her face - my mom says hugs are the simplest form of magic because they release something called endorphins into your blood, and that makes people happy

Dante gave her a puzzled look, as if he hadn't understood a word of what she just said, and then looked over at his brother.

\- It's true – Vergil told him – hugging releases endorphins which negate pain and sadness elevating mood and creating happiness, even for us Nephilims

It was obvious that Dante trusted his brother more than he trusted her because as soon as Vergil confirmed the information he hugged her back tightly and remained like that for around an entire minute.

A melancholic smile appeared on Helena's face when she saw that. Who would have thought that sixteen years later it would be him the one hugging her all night long in those days where all she wanted to do was cry?

\- So you are Nephilim? – The girl asked excited – Just like my mom!

\- You aren't? – Dante asked back, he seemed to be feeling a little better

\- I'm only half Nephilim, my dad is human – she made a pause before continuing – so… can you do magic like my mom?

\- Magic? – Dante asked sounding interested - What kind of magic?

\- All sorts of magic, but she specializes in spells that alter people's memory

Dante looked over at Vergil with a questioning look. It was almost as if they could communicate without saying a single word to each other.

\- I don't think we can do that… - Vergil replied out loud - but I'll read about it

\- My mom says I'll be able to do it when I grow up – the girl said proudly

\- Cool! You have to teach me! – Dante said looking thrilled

Helena who all this time had been mesmerized watching as if it was a movie playing before her eyes was finally brought to reality with her younger self's last statements. Everything was so confusing, she just heard herself say her mother was a Nephilim that could alter people's memories. That probably meant it was her mother the one that partially erased her memory, but why would she do that? And why did Dante never tell her anything about this? She then remembered all the things that Vergil said about her and her mother. As a kid Vergil was evidently very intelligent so maybe he wasn't as insane as she thought he was.

She also thought about how sad it was the fact that Dante seemed to blindly trust Vergil and how they seemed to be very close, and now in the present, they just couldn't stand the sight of each other.

\- I have an idea! – The little girl suddenly exclaimed – I know another thing that will make you happy!

She left the living room running as the twins stared at each other in wonder. After a few seconds she came back with a huge bag full of chocolates and candies. How she was able to carry all of that by herself was beyond any explanation. Both boys gazed at the candies in awe.

\- Your parents let you eat all of that? – Vergil asked in shock

\- Yes, my mom says I can't get caries so she lets me eat whatever I want

Once again Dante looked at Vergil, telling him something without needing to speak. Vergil rolled his eyes understanding his twin's question.

\- I've told you a thousand times Dante, we cannot get human diseases. But the sugar might make you hyperactive though… - he said

\- It's all for you, so you can have whatever you want – she told them happily

The twins immediately jumped to the bag and grabbed a big bar of chocolate each.

\- Thank you! – they both said unison before they started devouring the chocolate

As sweet as watching herself and Dante interacting as kids was, it was also depressing for Helena because she knew she would never see him again. Besides, she was really curious to know what Dante's father wanted from her mother so she left the living room and went to her father's studio where Assiel and Sparda were talking. The door was closed but since she was not physically there she could walk through it.

\- Are you sure about this? – Helena's mother told Sparda

\- Completely. You know the only one that can defeat Mundus is a Nephilim. I have to hide the boys so he won't find them, and for that I need you to erase their memory, please

Assiel didn't seem so convinced about that, she thought there had to be another way other than leaving the twins in an orphanage.

\- But they can stay here, I'll raise them like my own… and I can even make them believe I'm their mother…

Sparda gave her a faint smile. The idea of leaving his sons on their own was heart breaking for him, but he had no choice, for their future and mankind's.

\- Thank you Assiel, I really appreciate it, but that wouldn't be sensible, you know the only Nephilims in the world are them, you and your daughter. If you all stay together in one place and Mundus finds you, then it will be the end. That's why I'm going to hide them separately

Assiel's concerned look increased when she heard he was going to separate them. As cruel as that seemed she also knew deep inside that would be the safest way.

\- So, you want me to erase their memory completely? – she asked sounding troubled

\- Yes, it would be better and easier for them that way

Helena was shocked by the conversation. She now understood why Dante couldn't remember any of this either.

\- Assiel I'm so sorry – Sparda continued – I'm putting you and your family in danger for helping me, Mundus might…

\- It's ok, don't worry, we're friends, you know I would help you anytime. Also, you and I know that I'm not strong enough to defeat Mundus, but your boys might be in the future, so protecting them must be our priority… - she said as she seemed to be in deep thought - In fact, I have an idea… I'm aware that now that you are here, Mundus might trace you and he may find me, but if he comes and I'm forced to face him, I can make him believe that you only have one son

\- You can do that? – He replied in shock - That'll be so helpful, but can't you just make him forget about both of them?

\- That would require time, and I don't think I'm going to have much time if I fight him. Since they're twins, I can easily manipulate his memory and make him think that the two of them are just one. That way we would at least have an element of surprise in the future

\- I really hope you won't have to fight him, but if you do… please make him forget about Vergil. I'm leaving the Yamato to him so he is the one that's going to be able to close Mundus' Hell Gate – Sparda said with guilt in his eyes

Assiel nodded in response. During most of her life she had to hide from the tyrant of Mundus, so there was nothing she wanted more than seeing him getting destroyed. That would be the only way her daughter would be able to have a peaceful life without living in fear of being slain only for having Nephilim blood in her veins.

\- Can I ask you something else? – Sparda said after a few seconds - Can you give me 24 hours with them before erasing their memory?

\- Of course – Assiel replied with a sympathetic look on her face - I can cast the spell now and it would take effect tomorrow. You can stay the night here.

\- I don't know how to thank you – he said as some tears fell down his face

Helena felt bad for thinking that Sparda was responsible for the death of her parents earlier. He just wanted to protect his family, and her mother did the right thing by helping him. She now understood why she couldn't remember most of her childhood, probably that asshole Mundus found them and her mother was forced to erase her memory too, but unlike Dante and Vergil, she didn't wipe hers completely.

After a while, the demon stood up and walked into the living room. He smiled when he saw his sons happy and with their faces covered in chocolate competing to see who could eat the most in the least amount of time. But his smile didn't last long as he remembered that in 24 hours he was going to have to leave them forever.

\- Vergil, can you come here a second? – he said with sadness in his voice

The white haired kid immediately went running to his father glad that he had interrupted the competition and thus preventing his imminent defeat against Dante. He grabbed his hand and they both started walking back into the studio.

\- Mr. Sparda wait! – the six year old girl shouted as she went running after them

He turned and saw in surprise the little girl was behind him holding out a handful of candies.

\- For you – she said as he received the small gift – I hope you feel better

\- Thank you Helena, you are a little angel – he said smiling at her – Can you please take care of Dante while we talk to your mother? He's not feeling very good…

She nodded once and then returned to the living room running.

Helena looked at the clock again, it surely had been more than seven minutes since she got there but she hadn't disappeared yet, which meant her brain was still working, maybe time went by much slower in the real world, or maybe she was going to be stuck there forever.

\- Oh I know! – The girl exclaimed looking very excited - While we wait for Vergil I'll prepare you the best dessert ever!

\- Why are you being so nice to me? – Dante said looking serious - You just met me

\- Uhm… I don't know – she answered shrugging slightly - I just don't like seeing people sad. Also, if I was sad I would like someone to try to cheer me up

Dante seemed to be thinking of something before replying.

\- If I ever see you sad then, I promise I'll try to cheer you up… or even better, I'll beat whoever dares to make you sad – he said sounding very confident

\- Thank you Dante! – she told him giggling and then a huge smile formed on her face – You'll be like my knight in shining armor then

\- Your what?

\- It means you'll save me if I'm in danger, just like in fairy tales… I mean, it's not like I need someone to save me, but we could look after each other!

\- Oh ok, sounds fun, I promise I'll look after you then – he said smiling

\- I promise it too – she said grabbing his hand - Now come with me to the kitchen

Helena felt her eyes getting watery as she followed the kids. Even after having his memory erased and more than a decade later, Dante managed to keep his promise. Her, on the other hand, the only thing she had done to him was hurt him. She wondered how he was feeling now, she only hoped he was ok and not suffering because of her death.

\- What are you preparing? – Dante asked with a curious look

\- Strawberry sundae! You'll love it! But you have to help me out

Helena saw the two kids getting all the ingredients and preparing the dessert, when the most unbelievable thing happened. She saw her younger self grabbing a knife and trying to chop the strawberries. In her eagerness to cut the fruit quickly to avoid getting caught by her mother, she accidentally cut herself.

\- Ouch! – she complained

\- Are you ok? – Dante asked worried, looking at her finger

She just nodded and they both saw how the cut slowly healed itself.

Helena was dumbfounded by what just happened, why was she able to heal that cut? Why could she do that as a kid but not now? It didn't make sense.

\- Hey, I can do that too! – Dante said excited – Only faster, probably cause you are a girl

\- Don't be silly, it's because I'm half human, dummy

\- Well… you won't need your healing factor anyways

\- Why not?

\- I'm your knight in shining armor, remember? – he replied grinning in the child version of his typical arrogant smirk – Give me the knife, I'll cut it for you

Once they were done and made a complete mess out of the kitchen, Dante's jaw dropped when he tasted the ice cream. Both Helena and her younger self laughed at his face, it was the exact same face adult Dante made when he tried the same dessert many years later. It was funny how he hadn't changed one bit.

When they finished eating however, Dante's expression began to tense.

\- Your mother is going to alter my memory, isn't she? – he asked looking anxious

\- Uh… maybe, but probably she is just going to erase painful memories, she helps people that way all the time

\- I don't want to forget my mother's death – he replied hastily

\- Why not? Maybe it's for the better…

\- Because I don't want to forget who murdered her – he said in all seriousness - one day, when I'm strong enough, I'm going to kill him!

In that moment Vergil came running to the kitchen.

\- Dad's calling you Dante, it's your turn

He turned and gave Helena a worried look, it was evident he didn't want to go.

\- Hey don't worry, my mom won't hurt you. I'll tell you a secret about the whole memory thing later, ok? – she reassured him

Dante nodded and then left the kitchen.

\- What were you doing? – Vergil asked curious

\- We were eating ice cream, I made one for you and your dad too – she said happily as she approached the fridge

\- Uhm… Thank you – he answered blushing slightly

\- Your welcome – she said as she gave him the dessert – So, what did my mom do to you?

\- She's going to wipe our memory in 24 hours – Vergil replied looking stoic

The girl almost fell from her chair in shock, she thought her mother was just going to make them forget about theirs mother's death to help them cope with the pain, but never imagined that their father had brought them here to completely wipe their memory. It surprised her a little how calmed Vergil was in comparison to Dante.

\- You don't look very worried about that… – she told him

\- I'm not. Why would I worry if I'm forgetting it anyways? – he said shrugging his shoulders

\- Good point I guess…

Helena stared at Vergil for a moment, it saddened her to remember what he had become as an adult. He seemed to be such a nice and smart kid. The fact that he had a cold personality even as a child didn't make him a bad person, in fact, she couldn't see an ounce of evil in his eyes.

Vergil began telling her about how Dante had always been closer to their mother, Eva, and that was why her death had affected him so much, while he on the other hand, was closer to their father. He told her about how Dante would always be with Eva and how much he loved her. Of course Vergil loved her too and was sad about her death, but he just didn't show it that much.

The little girl felt so bad for Dante, there had to be something she could do for him. She thought for a couple of minutes and then told Vergil to wait a minute as she ran to the studio. In there, Dante was asleep in one of the chairs while her mother had both her hands, which were slightly glowing, on the sides of his head. Both Sparda and Assiel stared at her surprised.

\- Mom I need to tell you something! – She said hurriedly – It's really important!

Assiel approached her and the girl whispered something to her ear. Helena watched the whole thing but couldn't hear what the girl was saying. And then she realized there was no need to listen to it as the memory of that moment was coming back to her. Helena remembered what she told her mother back then. She was asking Assiel if she could leave one, just one small memory of Eva in Dante's mind, so he wouldn't forget her completely.

Assiel looked at her daughter with sadness in her face, but nodded. Sparda didn't need to know about it, it would be their little secret.

The six year old left the studio feeling somewhat better and went back to Vergil, who had already finished eating. About half an hour later Dante came back looking miserable. He ran towards Helena and hugged her.

\- Dante… - she said hugging him back

\- They are going to erase my memory and separate me from Vergil – he said sounding anguished and like he was about to cry – I don't want to forget my family, I don't want to forget you

\- You know, the secret I was going to tell you is that it doesn't matter if you alter someone's memory, if it's meant to be it will happen anyways

\- What do you mean? – he said looking at her

\- My mom describes it as a path we all have, she says that when you change someone's memory is like taking detours, but in the end you'll end up back on that path if you really want to, you'll end up where you are supposed to be. That means that if you really wish with all your heart to kill the man that murdered your mother then you will find him no matter what; if you really wish to be with your brother then you will eventually and if we are destined to be friends we will meet again somehow, so please don't be sad.

\- You promise? – he said with a little bit of hope in his voice

\- I promise – she gave him a warm smile and he just stared at her looking amazed for a brief moment before a smile also formed on his face

Then the blinding light came again, the images of the kids were disappearing, blending with the background. And then Helena appeared somewhere else, she was in her attic, it was a different day, two weeks later to be exact. She saw herself and her mother there, she was on her knees facing the little girl, and looking totally worried.

\- Listen to me honey – Assiel said taking off her necklace and putting it around her daughter's neck – This thing is extremely important, you should never lose it, ok? Always keep it with you

The little girl nodded looking scared.

\- What's happening mommy?

Helena already knew what was happening, Mundus had found them. He probably traced Sparda to their house, just like they knew it would happen. Her mother looked like she was about to cry

\- I'm sorry Helena – she said hugging her

Then, out of nowhere, a dagger appeared in Assiel's hand and with it she made a small cut on her finger and placed a drop of her blood on her daughter's forehead.

\- What are you doing mom? – the girl asked nervously, she knew that was the way her mother would usually put a curse upon someone

\- I'm sealing your Nephilim powers

\- Wh…what? Why?!

\- It will keep you safe, remember that time we went to that horrible place called Limbo? I won't be there to protect you anymore, so now no one will be able to drag you there, you'll forget everything about angels, demons and magic… you'll live a happy normal life, just like daddy.

\- Forever? – the girl asked on the verge of tears

Assiel grabbed her daughter's hands in a reassuring way, trying to calm her down.

\- The curse will break if you die… you will have to live and die as a human, but I'm sure that's going to happen once you are really old… I'll make sure you remember everything when that happens

Helena couldn't believe what was happening, everything made sense now, all the blank spaces from her memory corresponded to the supernatural part of her life. It also meant that Vergil was right the whole time, she could be dragged into Limbo after having a near death experience because the curse probably broke partially. But now she was certain she had died, did that mean the curse was finally broken? Was she going to have a second chance at living?

\- Will I ever see you again? – the girl asked her mother between tears

Assiel just managed to hug her daughter and cried with her. She started saying something in that strange language and her right hand began to glow, she placed that hand on the girl's forehead and she instantly fell asleep. Assiel carried her and took her to a little room they had in the attic. She cast another spell and that room's door instantly vanished, as if it was never there. In that very moment the attic door went flying as a big bald man in a suit came in.

\- So you were helping the traitor Sparda again huh? – He said looking mad - You are telling me where he hid those two little bastards… what were their names? Oh yeah, Dante and Vergil

\- I'm not telling you shit! – Assiel spat in response

Mundus snorted as he looked around. Sparda was not the only reason why he was after Assiel.

\- Where is the key? – he said threateningly

\- I don't have it. Besides, it doesn't matter – she answered him – You know Sparda's gate cannot be opened without my blood

\- Then you know better than anyone that I'm going to have to kill you to make sure it remains shut, I don't want any competition

\- Bring it – she replied even if she knew she had no chance against him while his Hell Gate was still open

Assiel's hand began glowing again as she muttered a few words while Mundus laughed knowing that she wouldn't be able to hurt him. In a quick move she approached him and threw the spell directly at his face. He didn't even flinch.

\- Was that supposed to hurt? – Mundus said mockingly, but then he started shaking his head and blinking repeatedly as if he was confused

\- Nah, I just made you forget about Vergil

\- Who? – he asked still looking stunned

Assiel grinned seeing her spell had worked, now he thought Sparda only had one son. She hoped that would turn useful in the future, or else she would be dying for nothing.

\- Are you going to fight me or what? – she said as she summoned another dagger, now she had one in each hand

\- I am, and I'm going to imprison your soul as a trophy – he replied smirking

\- I'll make you regret that

Helena covered her eyes, she didn't want to see anymore, she already knew how that fight ended. But she heard nothing. After a few seconds she opened her eyes again only to see that the darkness was back. She grabbed her head in pain as the rest of the lost memories of her childhood were coming back to her all at once.

Once she recovered from that she noticed a tiny spot of light in the distance. It seemed like the tunnels of light people describe they see when they claim to have died for a few minutes, so she started walking towards it.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18:

He didn't know how long he had been there, neither did he care. It could have been hours or just minutes since he had completely lost track of time. The sun was already beginning to set, but he just couldn't bring himself up to dig a grave for her, how could he when he couldn't even let go of her? He didn't exactly know why he felt so absolutely miserable either; he had lost people he loved before, but this time was different. This time he really thought he could make this differently, he was not only saving her from the demons in Limbo, but from her inner demons too. She had come such a long way since the first day he met her, but it was all for nothing.

He felt how his clothes were soaking wet from her blood, so he just buried his face deeper between her neck and shoulder and tightened his hold on her. He shut his eyes tight, not wanting to see her covered in the red liquid, he didn't want to remember her like that, he just wanted to feel her in his arms for the last time as he tried his best to focus on a memory of her being happy, showing him her beautiful smile. That's how he wanted to remember her.

He suddenly felt a slight, almost unperceivable movement underneath him. His first thought was that he was probably going insane, after all, there's only so much pain and grief a man can take in a lifetime before his sanity shatters. Maybe he was going to start having hallucinations any moment, and he did, because he felt it again. He cursed his mind for playing such cruel tricks on him, it just felt so real. When he finally lifted his head he assumed that he had somehow fallen asleep and was dreaming because what he saw was beyond impossible. The deadly wound on Helena's chest was healing.

Helena was beginning to feel her own body once again, the numbness slowly fading. That sudden awareness however also brought all the pain of her broken bones back. She tried opening her eyes, her vision gradually returning. The first thing she saw was Dante staring at her in complete disbelieve, his normally striking blue eyes were bloodshot red from crying so much. He looked almost like a helpless child, which reminded her of the vision she just had, and how much his expression resembled the one he had when she first met him as a kid. He opened his mouth trying to say something but no sound came out, he was in too much shock to even say a word.

Suddenly, the pain in the broken parts of her body increased sharply, as if it wasn't bad enough already. She could feel her bones rearranging and reattaching themselves in excruciating pain as they made loud cracking noises. She fought back the urge to scream because she didn't want to add worry to Dante's already troubled mind. She had been in so much pain during her life that she had learned to tolerate it by now, so she just pressed her face against Dante's chest and waited for it to be over. Meanwhile, he was as still as a statue, simply staring at her and wondering in the back of his head if all of this was a dream or not, it surely didn't feel like one, her touch felt so real.

After what seemed like the longest minute of her life, the pain started to subdue and she lifted her face to look at him. He still seemed to be completely stunned, he hadn't moved an inch since she woke up. Once she felt her bones had completely stopped moving she finally found the strength to speak.

\- Dante… - she said in a whisper

The moment he heard his name in her voice he knew he wasn't dreaming, everything was real, as real as the agony he was feeling just minutes before. He felt his eyes getting watery again, but this time the sensation was completely different and new to him. He covered his eyes with his left hand, this was the first time in his life that he was crying out of pure happiness. He was sure he had never felt this utterly glad and thankful ever before. He didn't know why or how, but she was alive and that was all that mattered to him.

\- You see, I told you, you were not a demon – she told him in a weak voice

Dante uncovered his eyes and just gazed at her with tears on his face wondering why she was saying that and thinking that she surely wouldn't say so if she saw his new Devil Trigger. She noticed the confusion on his face and gave him a faint smile.

\- You told me demons don't cry – she explained

He quickly wiped the tears from his face remembering when he told her that a while ago. Maybe he had been wrong this whole time because right on the day he had literally turned into a demon was the only day in his life he had cried his eyes dry.

\- Perhaps even The Devil may cry if he thinks he has lost the most important thing to him – he replied hugging her tightly, still assimilating the fact that she wasn't actually gone

They had only been apart for a couple of hours but it seemed like it had been an eternity for both of them. She never imagined she would be able to see him and feel his protective embrace once again. Dante's arms were the only place she ever felt truly safe so she held onto him while a few tears of joy also ran down her face. Once he got over the initial shock he started stroking her hair and realized, by the way she was hugging him, that she was a lot stronger now.

\- Helena… what happened? How are you…?

She let go of him and tried to summarize the visions she had as best as possible. Dante was really shocked to hear they had actually met before as kids, but he guessed it made sense given their parents were such close friends. He also thought that maybe that was why he cared so much about her since the moment he met her and why he would just do anything to make her happy, because somewhere deep down his subconscious he knew about the promise he had made to her years before. He still got a little angry at himself for not being able to properly remember any of that, he would love to be able to. But at least he now knew the truth, why she could be dragged into Limbo without seeming to have any special abilities, and why she was still alive even when she had clearly died before his eyes.

\- So that's why I had that glimpse of memory of my mother giving me my amulet… - he said thoughtfully – It was because of you… wow, thank you

\- Don't you think it's ironic? – She replied looking a little sad – how as a kid I always tried to find a way to cheer everyone up and now I'm just… the complete opposite, I'm the one that constantly needs to be comforted… it's like I'm only a depressing shadow of what I used to be…

\- No, I think you're still as sweet as the girl you just described, you are always caring for me, and trust me when I say this, you light up my days Helena – he said caressing her face – It just takes time to recover from what you've been through

She looked up at him, of course he was going to say something nice like that, he always did, but she knew he wouldn't say those kind of things if he didn't _really_ mean them. In that moment she realized something, probably because of the initial surprise of coming back to life she hadn't noticed it before, but Dante's hair color was different now, it was all white, just his father's. Did that mean he had triggered while she was gone? Had he killed Vergil? Helena looked around trying to see if she would find his corpse, but she didn't, which meant he probably escaped.

\- Have you triggered? – she asked concerned remembering how much he hated to do so as it reminded him of his demon side

\- How do you know? – he asked a little surprised

\- Your hair… it's all white now, you look so much like your father…

\- Great – he said in a very sarcastic tone – about that… I have to tell you something…

He began to tell her what had happened after she "died", how his Devil Trigger had changed, how he had turned into one of the things he despised so much, a fucking demon. She noticed how upset the whole thing made him feel.

\- But not all demons are evil Dante, your father was…

\- Stop it, I don't want to hear it – he cut her off

He was truly pissed about it, if he thought he couldn't control himself before just imagine now that he wasn't even conscious of what he was doing while triggered. He didn't even want to think of what he could be capable of doing if he did it again.

\- I don't even know what happened – he continued – all I know is that I woke up with my hands covered in Vergil's blood. Just think about it, if I ever get in that state of rage again I would kill everything around me and I wouldn't even know it until it is too late…

He kept staring at his hands with a very concerned look on his face. Worrying too much wasn't really his way of dealing with problems, he would normally just go with it, but not this time, he just had a terrible feeling about it. Helena wrapped her arms around him trying to ease him down and it seemed to be working as he relaxed a bit. He took a look at her, she was still covered in blood but the wounds and bruises were no longer there, there wasn't even a trace of them and then he noticed it.

\- Can you turn around for a second? – he said curiously

\- Why? – she asked a little puzzled as she turned

Even if she couldn't see him, she could almost feel him smirking behind her so she turned again a little irritated to face him.

\- Really Dante? This is not the time for you to be staring at my butt

He chuckled in response, she knew him too well but this particular time she was wrong.

\- No, I swear this time is not that – he said sounding amused – It's just that… your scars, they're gone

She instantly looked down to her abdomen, the dirt and blood made it difficult for her to see, but he was right, the scars were gone. She couldn't believe it and immediately placed a hand on her back, a couple of tears ran down her cheeks when she felt the smooth even skin for the first time in what seemed like forever. She had dreamt so much of the day she would just wake up and her body wouldn't remind her of the assault and, as impossible as that seemed months before, that day had finally come.

\- You also have a pretty cool tattoo now, similar to mine – Dante said still smiling – it's the same symbol that was on your necklace

He wondered if that meant she could now summon some kind of cool weapon or something like that. But she didn't seem to care about that at the moment, she was still a little bewildered about the scars disappearing. Like he had said before, they weren't a big deal to him, but if they were a big deal to her and she was happy about it, then so was he.

\- Let's go home – she finally spoke noticing that it was getting dark

He nodded and quickly took off his trench coat and his tank top and gave the last to her.

\- As much as I like to see you in your underwear, I don't think you want to walk around like that – he said looking at her almost naked torso

She looked at the blood covered piece of clothing for a moment before taking it, anything was better than walking around with only her bra on. If there was one thing she hated now was drawing attention to her, especially men's.

He offered her the trench coat also, but she declined as it was probably too big for her anyways, so he put it back on and then remembered he still had to talk to Phineas since there was something important the old demon wanted to tell him, so he was going to have to summon him again before leaving.

\- Wait, I need to do something first – he said as he approached the magic circle

He proceeded to summon the demon once again. Phineas appeared immediately in the middle of the circle, and as soon he did that he took a good look at the son of Sparda, examining him with curious eyes. After a few seconds an expression of surprise formed on the demon's face.

\- Dante… I see you have finally reached your full potential… - he said sounding fascinated

The demon hunter rolled his eyes annoyed, he really didn't need to be reminded of that, and the subject only served to put him in a bad mood.

\- If you mean turning into a freaking bloodthirsty monster, then yeah – Dante replied faking a smile

\- Oh, you still have to learn how to control it

\- Listen, I'm not learning shit, because I don't plan on triggering ever again – he said as Helena looked at him a little worried, she just confirmed how much the topic really troubled him

Phineas just stared at him and snickered lightly noticing Dante was missing something. For someone who had just claimed not needing his Devil Trigger, it was kind of obvious his twin brother had the advantage over him at the moment.

\- You don't need to trigger? Then where's your amulet Dante? – Phineas asked, his tone maybe a little more incisive than necessary

Dante shot him a glare that almost made the old demon regret asking that. Almost.

\- Vergil took it – he answered grinding his teeth, he was truly getting mad

\- Is that so? Did he take it or did you give it to him? – Phineas asked again in the same incisive tone as before

Helena knew Dante was a hot headed guy that wasn't going to take any shit from anyone, let alone a demon, and judging by his face, if the old demon kept talking he was going to be sliced in two any second. She didn't know Phineas but he seemed like a nice man, so she wasn't going to let that happen.

\- It's my fault, sir – she got in between the two of them – Dante gave it to Vergil because of me… I'm sorry…

Phineas looked at her for a second as he gave her a warm smile, as if he knew her from somewhere, but then turned to Dante, becoming serious once again.

\- You just put everything in danger. Your brother now has the key and the two amulets, if he obtains Sparda's power then not even you will be able to stop him, triggered or not

\- Oh come on! Give me a fucking break! – Dante spat, he was really beginning to lose it

\- But… - Helena tried to calm things down once again - as long as he doesn't use my blood to open the gate, everything is fine, right?

Phineas gave her a little nod for an answer, appreciating her efforts to ease the growing tension, but Dante's mood only seemed to be getting darker by the second.

\- You are really draining my patience Phineas, so you better tell me what is it that you wanted to tell me before it runs out – Dante threatened him

\- Oh I just wanted to tell you there's something wrong with your brother – he answered in a light tone

\- No shit Sherlock! – Dante exclaimed sarcastically as Helena elbowed him for being rude to the old man – You needed your magical eye to realize that?

Dante's anger only increased now that the subject of the conversation was Vergil. If there was one thing he hated more than demons it was him.

Phineas glared at him, trying to understand his insolent attitude. Judging by how red Dante's eyes were and the ridiculous amount of blood his girlfriend was covered in, it was pretty safe to say the Nephilim had seen better days.

\- You see Dante – he continued - I needed my eye to know that Vergil has been corrupted by a demon, a very powerful one that has taken the form of a hollow version of him

Dante couldn't have cared less about what Phineas said. He didn't give a single fuck about Vergil's issues, he only wanted to see him dead, so he just dismissed the old demon with a hand gesture and began walking away, ready to leave.

\- You mean he has been possessed or something like that? – Helena asked sounding somewhat concerned

Dante stopped dead in his tracks when he heard that last thing and the worry in her voice. Why the fuck did she give a damn about Vergil?

\- Something like that – Phineas answered – I could clearly see he was acting under the influence of that demon

\- But… how? – she asked back

\- When you let your mind and your heart be full of sinful thoughts and emotions, then you become vulnerable to that kind of corruption

Helena thought about it for a moment. That would explain why Vergil looked completely out of his mind and deranged and why he could command demons so easily even when he was a Nephilim.

\- That means that Vergil is not really conscious of what he is doing? – she kept on asking, much to Dante's anger

\- The real Vergil, not actually – Phineas answered

\- Is there a way we can save him? – Helena asked still sounding worried

Hearing her say that was all it took to make Dante snap. He couldn't believe she would even consider saving Vergil after all he's done. He turned and looked at her in a mix of disbelieve and rage.

\- What the fuck did you just say?! – he said as he approached her furiously

Helena stepped back a bit feeling a little intimidated because for the first time, he was mad at her for real.

\- I asked if there's a way we can…

\- No! Shut the fuck up! Saving Vergil?! – He shouted – You better be fucking kidding me Helena!

\- Stop yelling at me! – She shouted back at him – And no, I'm not kidding

Dante stepped away from her and turned as he ran his hands through his hair in frustration and muttered a series of curses under his breath. Boy was he pissed.

\- So – Helena decided to just ignore him and turned her attention to Phineas again – is there a way?

\- I'm afraid the only ways a demon can leave a body they are controlling are, one, if you kill the vessel, in this case Vergil, or two, the demon leaves willingly.

Dante turned again to face them both, finally he was hearing something that he liked.

\- It's settle then, I'm going to kill him – he approached Helena once again – and I'm not going to let you stop me

\- I won't stop you – she replied looking serious - but you should focus on killing the demon controlling him. It's like when you are triggered, you are just not conscious of what you're doing, same goes for him

\- Oh for fuck's sake! – Dante shouted still looking angry – Why so much consideration with Vergil huh? Is there something you want to tell me?

Helena rolled her eyes seeing where he was going with that. Men could get so irrationally jealous sometimes. How could he possibly think she would be interested in Vergil?

\- Are you serious? Don't be stupid Dante

\- I'm being stupid? What else do you want me to think when you want to save the guy that saw how you were getting raped, didn't do anything about it, even joked about it and then basically killed you! Now tell me, who is the stupid one here?!

\- I know Vergil is not really evil – she said remembering the innocent kid she met years ago - Maybe he was just confused after you defeated Mundus…

Dante decided to keep his mouth shut this time to avoid saying something out of rage that he might regret later.

\- You are so much like your mother and your grandfather – Phineas said, interrupting the argument – Always wanting to help others no matter what

Both Dante and Helena turned and looked at him with a puzzled look so Phineas began explaining what he had seen in her.

\- Her grandfather is Zadkiel, archangel of compassion and mercy, I can totally see his aura on her – he said as he examined her further - Even if she is only half Nephilim, her angel side is much stronger than the demon or human one, unlike you – he continued as he glared at Dante

\- Thanks for the reminder – Dante said in an ironic tone

\- I believe she is probably the closest thing to an angel in this world – Phineas concluded

Dante remembered Helena's story, her mother died because she helped others, because she helped Sparda, and Helena was just like her.

\- Angel? – She asked sounding very skeptical – Sir, I'm sorry but there must be something wrong with your eye because there's nothing angelic about me… - a sad expression suddenly appeared on her face - I used to be a drug addict and I attempted to kill myself several times…

\- I'm so sorry to hear that child, I can see that you've suffered a lot – Phineas answered with a sympathetic look – But there's nothing wrong with my eye, the fact that despite all the suffering you've been through you still have kindness in your heart proves it

Dante gazed at her. Phineas was right, even when she was covered in blood she looked like an angel, the beautiful, innocent angel he had hopelessly fallen in love with. He just couldn't stay mad at her.

\- Babe… I'm sorry, I… I shouldn't have reacted like that – he tried to apologize – I lost it, it's just that… I've had a _very_ shitty day…

Helena gave him a slight smile understanding him and feeling a little guilty too.

\- It's ok, I'm sorry too, I didn't mean to piss you off

They were going to have to discuss the Vergil issue later. Although after what Phineas said it seemed like the only plausible choice was killing him since the demon leaving Vergil's body willingly didn't seem very likely.

\- I must seem like a bipolar douche now – Dante said a little ashamed and turning to Phineas with an apologetic look on his face

\- Remember Dante, don't let your anger get the best of you, or you'll become vulnerable to corruption as well – was the demon's answer

Dante nodded, maybe he should listen to his elders for once in his life.

\- Phineas, you knew about her being half Nephilim all along? – he asked curiously

\- Only since the moment I saw her with your brother

\- What?! You could have told me! – He exclaimed – I almost had a heart attack thinking that she was dead! And you could have prevented me from turning into a fucking demon! No offense

\- Maybe that was just the push you needed – Phineas said smiling slightly

\- Push?! I'll give you a goddamned push, you… - he stopped when he realized he was letting his anger take over him once again, so he just sighed, resigned – Fine, what's done is done I guess

Poor Dante, he had been through a lot that day. He was thinking about how much he needed to either get drunk or get laid that night, but since he and Helena hadn't gone that far yet, he was going to have to buy some booze on his way home.

Phineas began saying his goodbyes but before he disappeared Helena stopped him.

\- Wait Mr. Phineas, before you leave, I was curious about what you said, you knew my mother and my grandfather?

\- I met your mother a couple of times, I'm very sorry about what happened to her… and your grandfather not personally, but everyone knew about him centuries ago

\- What happened to him? – she asked remembering that her mother never talked to her about her parents

\- Nothing really, he is in Heaven with the rest of angels, you know, archangels are virtually immortal

\- You mean he is alive?!

Phineas just nodded as if the answer was obvious, he noticed Helena seemed to be taken aback by the news. She knew she should be happy to know that she still had family left, but for some reason knowing her grandfather had been alive all this time only made her uneasy.

Once Phineas vanished, they were finally ready to leave, but Helena was lost in thought, staring up at the sky.

\- What's wrong? – Dante asked

\- It's just that…. If my grandfather is still alive, I wonder why he didn't help me or my mother when we needed him, why he let me suffer so much… I mean, aren't angels supposed to protect us?

Dante sighed and wrapped an arm around her.

\- I've never seen an angel helping me kill any of the demon scum, so I wouldn't rely on them for any type of protection. In all honesty, if it wasn't for my mother and now you, I would totally doubt their existence

\- Maybe one day we'll figure that out…


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19:

Dante was impatient to get to his place, drink anything that contained alcohol and sleep for three days straight if possible. He wasn't physically tired, but was emotionally and mentally exhausted. He couldn't wait for the day to be over, so he got on his motorbike finally ready to leave the woods.

\- Dante… can we go to my apartment first? – Helena asked a little hesitant noticing he still looked kind of upset

\- What for? – he replied sounding annoyed indeed

\- I believe my mother left her spells written somewhere, and I think I know where, she once told me I could learn them

\- No – he answered bluntly

Despite having apologized for his outburst, Dante was clearly still in a bad mood, and Helena knew it was better not to argue with him after seeing him so mad, but she really wanted to check if her mother had left all the spells for her to learn.

\- Please? – she insisted in a sweet innocent voice

Dante sighed and put his head down in defeat, he just couldn't say no to her when she used that tone. Sometimes it worried him how much of a pushover he could be around her.

\- Fine – he finally agreed – but don't take long

\- Thanks – she said happily wrapping her arms around him before he started the engine

Dante began driving out of the woods and back into the city. It was around seven p.m. so the streets were kind of crowded. Helena tried to hide her blood smeared face behind Dante's back so people wouldn't notice it, but still it was hard not to draw some attention since she pretty much looked like the last survivor from a gore film. She could see how people would stare at them with wide eyes while some would murmur things to each other. It surely didn't help that Dante looked like he was about to murder someone. She was just hoping police wouldn't stop them or else they were going to have some explaining to do or worse, knowing how impulsive Dante was, he would probably end up having a fight with authorities.

When they arrived to her apartment she immediately went running to the studio, the room where she kept all her books and began looking for one in particular. Dante watched her with little interest as she went from one side of the room to the other. After a couple of minutes she finally seemed to have found the one she was looking for as she took one book off the shelf. The book looked to be ages old, and had a very vintage ornamental cover, with plaques of gold and precious stones. It certainly looked expensive as hell and like it belonged to a museum or an art collection.

\- Wait, if you had that book all along, why didn't you just learn the spells before?! – Dante asked sounding very upset, as if she had just made him waste his time

Helena walked up to him and opened the book to a random page so he could see the content. It was all blank, there was absolutely nothing written in it. She flickered through the pages but they were all empty.

\- I remember my mother telling me this book was really important, but I never understood why since it is empty, I thought it was just an antique – Helena said placing the book in a table – But now I think this book is cursed, just like I was

\- You mother just loved cursing things, didn't she? – even when he was trying to make a joke Dante still looked very irritated - Phineas told me she was very astute, so you are probably right… but how exactly are you going to break the curse?

Helena seemed to think about it for a moment and then her eyes widened in realization. Without saying a single word she rushed to the kitchen and came back with a big knife seconds later.

\- Whoa! What are you doing with that? – Dante asked in surprise, not sounding angry for the first time since they left the forest

Helena approached the table where the book was and opened it to page one. She wasn't sure if her idea was going to work but she had to at least try it. Dante's lack of interest was completely gone when he saw in horror how she lifted the knife and pressed it against her other palm as blood began streaming from the wound.

\- Helena what the fuck! – He shouted at her grabbing her wrist so she would stop hurting herself – I thought you were done with the self-harming crap!

\- I'm fine – she said showing him her palm

Dante was shocked to see how the cut was slowly healing. He still needed to get used to her not being human anymore, it was really easy for him to forget that she had a healing factor now. Still, he was a little taken aback by the fact that she just pressed the blade against her hand and didn't even wince, he knew better than anyone that the healing factor didn't mean they couldn't feel pain.

\- It didn't hurt you? – he asked a little concerned

\- This? – she said in a sarcastic tone looking at her almost completely healed hand and then turning serious – I wish I thought a simple cut was painful, because it feels like nothing compared to the pain I've been through

\- I know what you mean, you get so used to pain that it's almost like you become immune to it… and after a while you'll just stop feeling human at all… – he replied with a hint of sadness in his voice because it just wasn't fair. During his life he had been shot, stabbed, beaten and anything imaginable countless of times, but he always knew he could rely on his healing factor so the pain never lasted long for him; but she didn't have one, she had to go through hell while being human, and the fact that she hadn't lost her humanity after everything was truly worthy of admiration. He just hoped she would never lose that human side of her

\- Don't say that… - she stopped talking when she saw Dante pointing down to the book

\- Look

Helena's eyes drifted down to the pages where a few drops of her blood had landed and saw how words began appearing on them. She was right, the curse on the book was breaking. Dante blinked a few times to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

\- My mother used to seal most of her curses with blood – she explained

\- Lovely – he just muttered still looking fascinated at the now visible words

Since Dante told her not to take long, Helena quickly made sure all of the pages had something written in them and then closed the book and put it in a handbag. She was going to study it carefully latter.

But before leaving, she wanted to take the opportunity to wash her face and change clothes, because the unwanted attention on the streets was making her very anxious and the smell of her own blood was bringing unpleasant memories back to her so she really couldn't wait to get it off of her.

\- Just wait a minute, please – she told him – I'm going to clean myself up and change real quick

She didn't even wait to hear Dante's reply because she was sure it wasn't going to be a nice one, so she just left to her room. While she was in the process of changing, he simply walked in to her bathroom and began washing himself too, he then began to look at himself in the mirror. Helena noticed he was checking his hair.

\- I like it – she said – I think it looks pretty cool

\- Whatever, I guess it's not that bad – he muttered before irritation took over his face once again – I'll be waiting for you in the living room, you've already made me waste enough of my time so hurry

And with that he left the room, slamming the door behind him. The noise made Helena flinch as she looked down with sadness in her eyes. She rapidly washed her face and finished changing clothes while she tried her best not to cry. Seeing him so angry with her was unbearable. It almost felt like she was losing him. She knew her emotional state wasn't the best and that she could be really oversensitive about things like this so it took her a lot to hold the tears back.

When she walked into the living room Dante was seated in one of the couches, he seemed to be thinking about something important and had a worried look on his face.

\- Dante, are you ok?

\- What do you think?! – he answered hastily without even looking at her

By that point she honestly didn't know what to tell him, she could feel her heart hurting at the way he was treating her.

\- This has been by far the worst day of my life – he said sighing – Vergil humiliated me, he kidnapped you, then I had to bear seeing you badly hurt, I lost my amulet, I thought you were dead, I turned into a demon, and finally, to top it all off you had to say 'Oh I want to save Vergil, he is not really evil'. It's like you are complotting with him to drive me crazy!

In that moment she finally realized that despite being her the one that got brutally beaten up and technically killed that day, it seemed like Dante got it worse, his emotional pain probably hurt more than any of the wounds she had sustained that day, not to mention he told her that when he thought she was dead he felt how every single cell in his body was being split and torn apart before he triggered.

She also felt terribly guilty because it was her fault that he lost the only thing he had left of his mother and knowing how much Eva meant to him only made her feel even worse. She just hated to be such a burden to him. Not being able to hold back any longer she just broke down.

\- Dante… I'm sorry…- she said turning around so he wouldn't notice she was crying, she knew he hated to see her sad and she didn't want to make him even angrier, but unfortunately her voice betrayed her – I… I will do anything I can to bring your amulet back…

She heard him standing up from the couch and approaching her. She winced slightly because he was probably going to yell at her for crying so much.

\- Don't cry – he said in a soothing tone, much to her surprise as he gently pulled her towards him so she would face him - You know, my day could have been a lot worse, I could have lost you

She was pressed against him now and she tried to wipe the tears away from her face.

\- I'm sorry Dante, I didn't mean to be insensitive about how you feel, just forget I ever said anything about Vergil… I just didn't want you to lose the only family you have left

\- I have no family left Helena – he replied sternly – I lost my brother a long time ago

Helena nodded, feeling a little resigned. Deep inside she still whished there was something she could do to save Vergil.

\- I won't interfere – she finally said

\- Good – he replied and after a moment of silence he spoke again – I'm sorry I made you cry, I know it seems like I'm still mad at you, but I'm not, I can't be mad at you, I'm just in a bad mood… I'm pissed at myself…

\- At yourself? Why?

\- Isn't it obvious? Because I failed, I couldn't protect you, I couldn't do anything… - he said staring into space and with despair in his voice

\- It wasn't your fault; I was the one that fell in the trap

There was a moment of silence in which Dante's concerned look only increased.

\- Helena, do you still want this? – he said finally looking at her straight in the eyes

\- Want what?

\- Us

The moment she realized what he was meaning to ask, she felt her heart aching even more, as if someone had just stabbed her. Why would he ask her that?

\- You don't? – she asked nervously, if he said he didn't, her heart was going to break in a thousand pieces

He noticed the angst in her voice and his features softened immediately.

\- Of course I do – he said surprised that she would have doubts about that - I've never been this madly in love with anyone before, but I knew being with me would only put you in danger. Vergil said that he only killed you because he knew that would hurt me, I knew something like that

would happen, I knew it… but I was so selfish that I decided to drag you into this anyway… I would understand if you wanted to leave me

\- You don't have to worry about me anymore, I'm not as weak as before, and I told you even when I was human that I didn't care, I don't care if it's dangerous, I just want you

\- You really love me that much? – he said with a faint smile on his face

She simply nodded in response

\- And you? – she asked back

\- More than anything

Helena smiled at him and hugged him, she was so glad he wasn't mad at her anymore and to know she wasn't losing him.

Dante sat back on the couch with Helena still in his arms so she was now resting on top of him and they just stayed there in silence for a long while. The silence wasn't awkward at all, it was actually kind of comforting. After being so close to losing one another they just wanted to spend time together. He simply loved holding her because doing so, he felt so at ease, as if all his worries would just go away.

\- Is there anything I can do to make you feel better? – she asked breaking the silence and wrapping her arms around his neck

Dante's mind filled with several things she could do to make him feel better, but he quickly shook the perverted thoughts out of his mind because he knew her question was completely innocent.

\- No… - he answered clearing his throat - I… I just need a drink. Do you have any?

\- You can't drink if you are going to drive, you might hurt someone

\- Fine, fine. I'll buy some on the way home – he said standing up and carrying her bridal style to the door – We better get going

They made their way out and back into the now almost empty streets. Ever since the news of demonic creatures began appearing, people were afraid to leave their houses at night.

Only a few blocks away from Helena's apartment they heard something that sounded like people arguing, but then the noise became much louder and suddenly they heard the desperate screams of a male and a female.

\- Dante stop! There's something bad going on

\- I know, but it's none of our business – he said as he attempted to accelerate

\- What?! Dante I said stop! – she demanded once again

\- Goddammit! – He cursed stopping the bike and wondering how or when had he become so henpecked – Helena can you please stop torturing me? I've had enough for today! I'm fucking tired!

He started getting off the motorcycle thinking how it wasn't even statistically possible for his day to get any worse, but when he turned around, Helena was already off the bike and running to the place where the noise was coming from.

\- Hell no – he muttered to himself as he immediately ran after her and caught her by the arm - If you think I'm going to let you run away like that again, you are out of your mind! You stay behind me

\- But… - she tried to object

\- Stay behind me! – he ordered losing his patience

\- Fine, but hurry! – she said pushing him

Dante began running making sure Helena stayed behind him. If he was overprotective before, he was going to be ten times more now after what happened that day, it didn't matter to him that she wasn't human anymore.

When they turned the next corner they both froze in their tracks because there was a demon standing there, in the middle of the street. It was big, probably around 13 feet tall and looked like a beast, with its body being entirely pitch black, except for the horns on the sides of its head and its red eyes. Dante checked his surroundings just in case, only to realize they we're actually not in Limbo. This realization was only confirmed by the gruesome scene before them. There were the bodies of a couple, or what was left of them, they had been brutally murdered by that demon and they were the ones that were screaming just moments ago.

One could tell they were young, probably around Dante and Helena's age, they had their whole lives ahead of them but now they were just corpses. If they had arrived just a couple of seconds earlier then maybe they would still be alive.

Dante was about to summon Rebellion to kill the demon once and for all, but before he could even put his hand on it, he saw how the demon was pierced by four rays of light that seemed to have come out of nowhere and made the monster growl in pain.

Dante looked back to where the rays of light had come from. He couldn't believe his eyes when he saw Helena standing behind him carrying a golden bow that had a light blue glow emanating from it. And then it struck him, the rays of light were actually arrows, arrows that Helena had shot at a lighting fast speed. For the first time since he met her he saw an intense fire burning in her eyes as she angrily glared at the demon.

Before he could say or do anything, she charged at the demon. He was in too much shock to even move, part of him wanted to stop her, but the other wanted to see what she would do. When she was getting close to the demon she divided the bow in two and the parts transformed into double daggers, the blue glow of the bow turning into a deep red one.

The demon tried to catch her but she gracefully dodged the attack and with a swift move from one of the daggers she cut off the monster's arm. Dante felt his jaw dropping in disbelieve when he saw that. She then took impulse from the nearest wall, almost defying gravity and landed on the demon's back. Once there, she quickly climbed to the top of his head. When she was behind the demon's scruff she crossed the daggers against its neck and then uncrossed them, cutting clean through the demon's flesh and causing its head to roll off of its body. The demon's corpse quickly faded into ashes.

Helena landed on the floor without problem as her weapons vanished. Dante was still dumbfounded and speechless. He just stared at her without being able to say anything. He didn't even know whether to be proud of her for killing a big demon so easily or to be mad at her for being so reckless.

\- We better leave before police arrives – she said grabbing Dante's arm so he would start moving

\- How…? – he tried asking

\- I told you, you don't have to worry about me anymore – she said grinning – You know, that was fun, I get why you like killing demons so much now

He simply stared at her for a couple of seconds, he still wasn't sure if he should be pleased or concerned to hear that. He could clearly remember the skinny girl that was afraid to even go out to the streets and now here she was, killing demons like nobody's business.

\- If your mission for the day was killing me of a heart attack, then you are doing a great job Helena – he said – I feel like I've aged 10 years today

\- Your hair agrees – she replied laughing

\- Very funny – he replied sarcastically


	20. Chapter 20

**Hello everyone, just wanted to let you guys know that we're only a couple of chapters away from the end of the story, probably around 3 more chapters so thank you for the patience :)**

 **WARNING: There's a sex scene in this chapter, nothing too explicit but giving the warning just in case**

* * *

Chapter 20:

They finally arrived to Dante's apartment after stopping at a convenience store to buy some whiskey and beer. Dante was planning on getting hammered to try to forget all the shit that happened that day.

\- Helena, you have to promise me you won't do that again

She knew he was talking about her killing that big demon, she had to admit it was kind of impulsive on her part, but she didn't regret it, seeing how it killed those two innocent people enraged her to the point where she just wanted to see the demon dead. She also wanted to show Dante that she wasn't weak and frail like before, but she understood that he was scared to lose her again and therefore he was going to be extremely protective of her from now on.

\- Leave the demons to me, ok? – Dante said still sounding concerned

\- I won't argue with you today – she said sighing and walking past him – It's been a rough day for me too, I'll go take a bath

Dante got rid of his coat and went to the kitchen to get something to eat, only then he realized he hadn't eaten anything since lunch so he couldn't be picky and would have to settle with whatever was on the fridge. Luckily for him, Helena got groceries a couple of days before. Once he finished eating almost the entire content of the fridge and cupboard he got a glass and some ice for the whiskey and made his way to the bedroom.

Helena came out of her much needed relaxing bath only to find shirtless Dante sitting in the bedroom couch drinking with loud rock music as a background. She didn't really want to see him getting drunk, but at least the music was good and he seemed to be in a better mood.

\- Feeling better? – she asked sitting next to him

\- A lot better – he replied taking a long sip of his drink

\- I'm glad, you've been so grumpy today

He chuckled as he took a look at his half empty glass before drinking the rest of the content so quickly that the ice hadn't even began to melt so he picked up the bottle and filled his glass once again.

\- How can you drink that so fast? – Helena said wrinkling her nose

\- I don't know… want some? – he said teasingly offering her the full glass even though he already knew what her answer was going to be

And he was right as she simply shook her head in response.

\- Remember what almost happened last time I got drunk – she said looking to the floor in embarrassment at the memory of that day

\- Right – he said snickering – But you know what they say, kids and drunk people always tell the truth and that day you wanted to… – he stopped talking when he realized the subject was making her really uncomfortable, causing his smirk to disappear – Never mind

There was a moment of silence in which Dante took the chance to empty his glass in one gulp, but noticed she still looked ashamed.

\- Sorry, sometimes I don't watch my words

\- I know it must be hard for you… - Helena said sounding guilty for some reason - I mean, I'm your girlfriend but you can barely touch me without me freaking out…

\- Uh… It's a little hard I'm not gonna lie. You know I'm not the most patient man in the world, but I will be for you, I'll wait until you're ready, don't worry

\- Thank you – she told him with a small smile forming on her face

She was glad he was so understanding, but she wished she wouldn't feel so nervous about it because she truly loved him and was convinced that he was the one. Besides, when was she going to be ready? She had already found the right person and she certainly felt ready to bury the past. That day, when she killed that demon so easily, she wasn't even scared of it in the first place, killing it was so empowering, she felt so in control of the situation… so why should she be scared of this? There was no reason to be afraid, she knew Dante wouldn't hurt her, it was all in her head and she finally felt ready to leave her biggest fears behind.

\- Dante… I love you – she said before leaning over him to kiss him passionately

He was a little surprised by this as she was rarely the one to take the initiative, but he wasn't complaining. He put his glass on the nightstand and leaned into her, deepening the kiss. She felt Dante's muscles straining as he was making a genuinely effort to restrain himself. Having her like that was far too tempting for him.

After a few minutes of making out on the couch he carried her to the bed. Helena was barely aware of the fact that he was now on top of her.

\- I told you, you are going to end up driving me crazy – he said gasping of air – Enticing me like this

Helena smiled at him and placed her hands on his toned abs and slowly moved them lower until she reached his belt and began unbuckling it. Dante stopped her in utter shock grabbing her hands gently.

\- Wait… are you sure about this?

She bit her lip and nodded, she was sure but at the same time she was totally nervous about it.

\- You are not drunk, are you? – he asked just to make sure

\- No, I love you… I'm ready

For a moment Dante wondered if he was dreaming or having an incredibly vivid fantasy due to the alcohol, but that couldn't be since he had only drunk two glasses, which for him wasn't even enough to make him light headed.

After determining that this was indeed reality, it only took him a couple of seconds to get rid of her shirt and find the clasp of her bra before removing it too. Helena watched him as he feasted his eyes on her body, but she could also see the pure love in his eyes.

\- I love you too Helena – he said kissing her neck – every inch of you

His lips slowly moved down to her chest, making her gasp when she felt his mouth on her breasts. She ran her fingers through his disheveled hair while she held him tightly to her, silently encouraging him to keep going.

His hands eventually moved to her hips and he stopped for a moment when he reached her jeans. Dante looked at her as if asking for permission to continue. It was at that moment that Helena found herself wanting the one thing she thought she would never want ever again and nodded at him in response.

Dante removed her jeans and then tugged at her underwear, pulling it down her legs. Helena felt her cheeks flushing red now that she was completely naked in front of him.

\- Damn you're cute when you blush – he said smirking as he enjoyed the sight

Helena couldn't help but blush even more as she watched him pulling off his pants and boxers quickly. Her nervousness increased sharply when she saw him naked. Seeing how large he was didn't help to ease her at all. She knew any other girl would be marveled at his size but it only made her more anxious and worried.

Dante noticed her uneasiness, and began having second thoughts about it because he absolutely didn't want her to feel pushed to do anything she didn't want to.

\- Listen, we don't have to do it tonight, If you want to wait a little longer, I'm okay with that – he tried to sound as sincere as possible, even though deep inside he was going to be a little pissed about it

\- No, it's not that… I want to, I'm just a little nervous

\- Are you sure? – he asked again

\- Yes

\- If you don't like it, just tell me and I'll stop – he said in a soothing tone - I'll be gentle

Due to the fear she still had, she shut her eyes tightly when he slowly pushed himself into her. As soon as he did so, memories of the assault began hunting her mind vividly. It was as if she was back there in that dirty alley, she could practically smell her own blood mixed with the stench of cheap alcohol and cigarettes and she could feel that searing pain once again.

Dante immediately noticed the tears that were beginning to seep from her still shut eyes.

\- Helena, look at me! It's me!

She slowly opened her eyes and just stared at him as she tried to calm down.

\- Am I hurting you? – He asked concerned – Do you want me to stop?

Helena noticed the pain was gone as quickly as it had come, probably it was only in her mind, and she realized that if she focused on him, if she reminded herself that it was Dante the one making love to her then the sensation was completely different, it actually felt good.

\- No…

\- Please relax – he said kissing her softly and stroking her hair

He carefully watched her reactions as he moved inside her. He was trying to be as gentle as possible, keeping it at a slow pace until she got used to him, but it didn't take long before he began picking up the pace. Dante found it amazing how just an hour ago he couldn't wait for the day to be over and now he was wishing for this moment to last forever.

Helena felt her breathing becoming more rapid as the pleasure increased, overwhelming her with feelings she never thought she would experience again. She started to cry out and moan his name to keep reminding herself who was making love to her. Hearing her saying his name in such a pleasure filled voice and feeling her nails digging into his back only flamed Dante's desire as his movements became faster.

With one final thrust, he brought her over to the edge as he gave a loud groan and collapsed over her. They stayed still for a couple of minutes, just enjoying the closeness between them and Helena noticed Dante had the biggest smile she had ever seen on his face. She couldn't help but smile too, she had finally done it, she had overcome her fear and the best part was that she enjoyed every minute of it.

\- That was fucking amazing! – Dante exclaimed still panting

Their lips met in a soft, tender kiss before he pulled out of her and rolled off to the other side of the bed thinking about just how the worst day of his life turned into the best one. He wrapped his arms around her body and she laid her head on his chest as they both felt themselves drifting off into slumber.

* * *

All she could see was plain whiteness, she wondered where was she supposed to be and looked around, but there was nothing. For some reason, it reminded her of when she had the visions of her childhood, only this time the light wasn't blinding.

She realized that she was probably dreaming, but despite the fact that she had been aware of being asleep in dreams before, this was the first time she was dreaming with this pure calming whiteness.

\- Helena… – she heard a very familiar voice say behind her

Her heart stopped for a second because she couldn't believe what her ears had just heard. There was no one else there so the voice had to be addressing her and not a younger version of herself like before.

\- Mom… - she muttered before slowly turning around

And there she was, Assiel was standing in front of her, she had a golden glow around her and looked exactly how she remembered her, as if not a single day had passed since she last saw her. But Helena noticed something was wrong, there was pain and hurt written all over her mother's face. Helena ran up to her and hugged her, she couldn't help but cry like a little kid in her mother's embrace. All these years she had missed her so much, she had needed her so much.

\- My baby – Assiel said between tears – I hope one day you can forgive me… you must probably hate me… I'm so sorry – her voice just broke completely as she covered her face with her hands and began crying desperately

\- Hate you? – Helena replied not understanding why her mother was so devastated - Of course I don't hate you mom, why would I ever do that?

Helena placed a hand on her mother's shoulder trying to calm her, to no avail.

\- I'll never forgive myself – her mother said finally looking at her – When I put that curse on you, I did it to protect you from the demons, but…. I… I never imagined humans could…. – she broke down once again, it was heart breaking for Helena to see her mother in so much pain – If you had had your Nephilim powers… then you wouldn't have…. you wouldn't have suffered like that… you shouldn't have gone through that… no one should

Helena realized what was causing her mother so much agony, she felt guilty for what happened to her because she was the one who sealed her powers away. It hadn't even crossed her mind to blame her mother for anything, if she hadn't put that curse on her then she would have most certainly died in Limbo as a kid.

\- How do you know about that mom?

\- After Mundus' defeat, almost a year ago, my soul was finally freed from its prison, and I've been trying to watch over you since… I couldn't communicate with you in the human world and I also couldn't do it until the curse was broken….

\- But it wasn't your fault mom, I wouldn't even have turned seven if you hadn't done what you had to do, I know you did it to protect me

\- I was so scared they were going to kill you… - Assiel said as her eyes filled with tears once again

\- But… if I had died there, I would have just come back to life like I did today, the curse would have been broken

\- That's not how it works… - Assiel replied shaking her head - while it's true that you had to die as a human, you don't come back to life if you seek death intentionally or if you have a death wish… and that time you did…

Helena remembered how at one point, when she just couldn't take it anymore, she started wishing death would somehow come and take her, she just wished one of those men would just pull one of their guns and shoot her in the head, but that would have been too merciful.

All in all, the condition made sense since there wouldn't be a point in putting that kind of curse upon someone if that person could simply kill themselves and break it immediately. It also meant that if she had actually killed herself one of those many times she attempted to, she wouldn't have woken up ever again. Actually, the only time she was close to dying but didn't want to, was when she realized Vergil was going to kill her and that was because she didn't want to leave Dante.

\- It was that desire to live what allowed you to come back to life – Assiel explained

If her mother was aware of everything that had happened in the past year then that meant she was surely very disappointed at her for the things she had done, the heavy drug abuse and the multiple suicide attempts. Imagining her mother finally being freed from her prison only to see her in such a miserable state made her feel like she had failed as a daughter as well as a person.

\- Mom… - Helena said as she completely broke down - I'm sorry I let you down…

Assiel hugged her not really understanding what she was talking about.

\- I'm sorry about the drugs and what I tried to do… - Helena buried her face in her mother's shoulder as she continued crying – It's just that… I felt so miserable… so filthy… so worthless

\- You haven't let anyone down honey, you never gave up, you've been strong and you have to stay that way

She felt her mother's embrace tightening, probably seeing her crying about it was only hurting her even more, so Helena tried her best to stop and change the topic to happier matters.

\- But… I'm a lot better now mom, thanks to Dante… do you remember him? – the sole mention of his name brought a smile to her face and her mother immediately noticed it

\- Sparda's son, of course I remember him… he is a good man, just like his father

\- I know – Helena's smiled faded when she thought of the poor man of her vision - It's such a shame Dante resents Sparda only for being a demon, I wish he hadn't died...

\- He is not really dead

Helena's expression suddenly went from sad to complete shock.

\- He's trapped in Hell - Assiel clarified - Ever since Mundus' demise he has a lot more freedom but still he hasn't found a way to come back to the human world

\- How do you know all of that?

\- I talked to him two weeks ago… I wanted to ask him something

\- What?

Assiel looked at her daughter for a couple of seconds as if debating whether she should tell her.

\- As soon as I found out those bastards had died I went and talked to Sparda, just like I'm talking to you, I told him about what happened… you know he still remembers with fondness of the time you somehow managed to make him and his sons smile after Eva's death… he got so furious… - there was a pause as Assiel remembered that moment – I know nothing is going to change the past, but Sparda searched all over Hell for their souls until he found them, he is making them pay every tear, every ounce of pain they caused you, they won't feel anything but pain and suffering for the rest of eternity

Helena just stayed in silence while her mother's words were sinking in.

\- I know one of them is still alive – Assiel continued – When his time comes his fate will be the same, Sparda promised me that

It really surprised Helena that Sparda would care enough about her to do something like that considering she had only seen him twice in her life.

\- Does he know about… Vergil?

Assiel was surprised by her daughter's sudden question and shook her head in response with a pained expression.

\- He was so proud of his sons for defeating Mundus that I didn't have the heart to tell him… he would be so disappointed

\- Mom… do you think there's a way to bring Vergil back? The real Vergil

\- I don't know honey… maybe he's too far gone

\- But maybe not, maybe there's a way

\- You'll have to see that for yourself then… just promise me you won't do anything reckless – Assiel replied sounding very worried, since she knew it was him the one who broke Helena's curse, the one who killed her - He is very dangerous

\- I already told Dante I wouldn't interfere if they fight… so I promise I guess

Even after Helena reassuring her she wouldn't do anything dangerous the worried look on Assiel's face didn't disappear.

\- And… be careful of Dante too…

\- Of Dante? What do you mean? – Helena asked in confusion

\- I know he is a good man and I will be forever grateful with him for what he's done for you, but when he gets enraged and his demon side takes over him… just be careful until he learns how to fully control it

\- Ok mom… I will

Assiel gave her daughter a warm smile, knowing that she didn't hate her for putting the curse on her brought peace to her heart and mind, and knowing Helena was finally happy meant her soul could finally rest. They talked a little longer, before the inevitable farewell had to come. Assiel said goodbye to her beloved child before promising her that one day they would meet again.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21:

\- Helena… are you crying? – She heard Dante's worried voice trying to wake her up – What's wrong?

She slowly opened her eyes not understanding what he was talking about, but then she felt her face was wet from tears, which made her remember the dream she just had. She just stared at Dante while he tried to wipe the tears from her face, a pained expression flashed across his features.

\- You regret it, don't you? – he asked with a hint of sadness in his voice

\- Regret it?

She started to think about what happened the previous night, and was probably beginning to blush just thinking about it, but that wasn't the reason why she had been crying, it was because she had to say farewell to her mother.

\- I dreamt with my mother that's all… it felt so real, like it was really her speaking to me

\- Really? Well, it can happen, when I was on my quest to defeat Mundus, my mother talked to me too, I don't know how that works though

\- I didn't know that was even possible, she told me she couldn't communicate with me until the curse was broken

\- I see… - He guessed most of the stuff they talked about were private and he didn't want to be nosey so he decided it was better not to ask about their conversation - So… you don't regret what happened?

\- Of course not – she told him with a smile

Dante's concerned expression quickly changed to his usual cocky smirk.

\- I think the whole neighborhood heard us, they all probably know what's my name now – he said chuckling remembering the previous night

\- Sorry… - she said shyly

\- Don't be, they'll just have to get used to it cause you've unleashed the beast in me and I won't be so gentle next time

Helena bit her lip trying to hold back a smile when she heard that, Dante noticed that and a devilish grin formed on his face before he abruptly got up and lifted her, carrying her over his right shoulder.

\- What are you doing?! – she exclaimed surprised because they we're still naked

\- I'm going to take a shower, thought you might wanna join me – he said with the smirk still on his face and closing the bathroom door behind him

* * *

The next few days Helena dedicated most of her free time to study her mother's book. She was really interested in learning the memory spells as they could turn out to be very useful. While studying she learned that this kind of magic was angelic, while the one that required blood sacrifice was demonic magic and was a little bit more complicated to learn. Since she had no idea how to do any kind of magic she was going to start with the most basic spells.

During those days, not much else happened, except for one thing. In what could be called a wicked twist of fate, Dante began having horrible nightmares almost every day, he would wake up in the middle of the night panting and sweating, sometimes even screaming. Helena would try to comfort him, but for the first time she could see pure fear in his eyes, which was something so out of character for him. Every time she would ask about his nightmares he would lie and tell her that he couldn't remember what they were about. She knew he was lying, but never pushed him to tell her because she feared his nightmares were about her. Dante tried to pretend like it wasn't a big deal and everything was fine, but his actions showed otherwise, he began sleeping less and less to the point where he would actually stay awake almost all night, but would eventually end up falling asleep. Helena always tried to stay awake to wake him up if she noticed he was having a nightmare, it was the least she could do after he did the same for her around a month before.

One afternoon, when she felt like she had studied enough, it was finally time to test her abilities, so she approached Dante who was lying on the couch lazily looking through an old magazine.

\- Dante, I need you to do me a favor

\- Sure, what is it about?

\- You know I've been studying my mother's book this past few days and you see… I need someone to test the spells on….

\- What?! – He shouted as he jolted up from the couch - You want me to be your lab rat?!

\- You don't have to call it that, but yeah I guess… - she noticed Dante was beginning to get kind of nervous – Don't worry, I've studied the book carefully, I promise it'll be okay

\- Isn't playing with magic dangerous or something?

\- Very

\- Well then forget it, what if you accidentally wipe my memory completely?

\- I'll try something small first, I want to make you remember about the day we met as kids, it's very simple since it's a specific event. Please – She asked again in the tone of voice she knew he couldn't say no to

Dante sighed in defeat, there he was, being a pushover once again. To be fair, his memory was already very fucked up so he guessed it couldn't really get any worse, also he actually wanted to remember that day too.

\- Fine – He agreed - I trust you, what do I have to do?

\- Nothing, just lay on the bed and relax, I'll put you to sleep – she replied slightly pushing him towards the bed

\- Wait what? Put me to sleep? How are you even going to do that? Besides, I don't want to sleep right now

\- There's a spell for that too, but the book says it only works if your mind is either really troubled or really calmed, so relax, and don't worry you won't have nightmares while I'm working on your memory

\- Ok… don't make me regret this – He said lying on the bed – I better get a nice reward when I wake up – He continued winking at her

\- Shut up and relax

Dante tried to stop thinking about all the things that could possibly go wrong and just keep his mind blank. Helena started murmuring something he couldn't understand and he saw how her hands began glowing. He nervously swallowed as he felt her fingers on his temples and just seconds later he began feeling very dizzy and his eyes getting really heavy to the point he couldn't keep them open anymore. It felt as if he was being doped and before he knew it he was surrounded by darkness.

After what seemed like a few seconds he finally managed to open his eyes once again.

\- Ha! Your spell didn't wor… Where the hell am I?! – he exclaimed realizing he wasn't in his bed anymore but was in the passenger sit of a ridiculously luxurious car

He looked to his left and his eyes widened in surprise when he saw the man that was driving, seeing him almost gave him a jump scare.

\- No fucking way! Sparda? – Dante asked in disbelieve

It became obvious the man couldn't hear him and as Dante reached out his arm to get his attention, he realized he couldn't touch anything in there. As a matter of fact, he was pretty sure his body wasn't even actually in contact with the car seat. He was thinking about the logic of that when his thoughts were interrupted the moment he heard a boy's voice coming from the backseat.

\- Where are we going dad? – the voice made Dante turn around to see who it was

And he saw himself as a kid sitting next to Vergil who was the one that spoke. He couldn't help but glare at the sight of Vergil, even if he was just a child in there. He also noticed that his seven year old self was silently crying in one corner of the car.

\- We're going to a friend's house, hopefully she'll help us – Sparda replied worriedly – She is Nephilim like you

\- Did you hear that Dante? – Vergil told his brother placing a hand on his shoulder trying to comfort him – Someone is going to help us, don't cry

Adult Dante was really shocked to see that, but if Helena was trying to make him change his mind about Vergil by showing him the good side of him when they were still a family, well it wasn't going to work. So he just crossed his arms and turned again, he was beginning to get mad about being trapped in his own memory.

\- Great! I'm stuck in a car with Sparda and Vergil! This is almost as bad as my nightmares! I told you not to make me regret this! – He started shouting, maybe Helena could hear him somewhere, wherever she was – Get me out of here!

He kept on shouting and cursing the whole way until the car finally stopped in front of a big house, not as big as his childhood home but still one could tell it was a wealthy neighborhood.

\- We arrived – Sparda said turning the engine off and getting out of the car

Dante tried opening the car's door forgetting that he couldn't actually touch anything.

\- Right – he muttered feeling like an idiot as he just went right through the door and saw Vergil getting out of the car as well

\- Come on Dante, let's go – Vergil said with a worried expression

Dante looked inside the car through the window and saw his younger self just sitting there looking into space, completely ignoring his twin, it was very sad seeing the boy in this almost catatonic state.

\- Wow, I was fucked up as a kid – Dante said to himself

But as the memories of that day were coming back, he remembered how much his mother's death had affected him, and he knew that this was the morning after she was killed, so he guessed the boy's behavior was understandable.

\- And of course, cold-ass Vergil doesn't even shed a tear over mother – He said glaring at the white haired boy – You were always a heartless dick

Noticing his son wasn't planning on getting out of the car by himself, Sparda approached the car again and opened the door closest to the kid.

\- Dante… please – he said carrying the boy and closing the car door behind him.

With Dante in his arms Sparda began walking towards the front door. Adult Dante was about to follow them but heard Vergil muttering something behind him. He turned to look at the boy, who seemed to be about to burst into tears.

\- I can't… I have to be the strong one… if Dante sees me sad then he'll get worse – the white haired kid said taking a deep breath and regaining his composure before running towards his father and taking his hand

This really took Dante by surprise, maybe Vergil wasn't so heartless after all… but still nothing was going to make him change his mind about him. He followed the kid and made his way to the front door too. By the time he got there a little girl had already opened it and was just staring at Sparda in amazement.

\- Helena? – Dante asked immediately recognizing her

He remembered the story she told him when she came back to life, it was exactly like this. Then Helena's mother would appear and tell them to come in, and that's what happened the next second. The rest of the events went just as she had described them. Helena was indeed a very sweet person even as a child, innocently trying to cheer him, Vergil and their father up, and it was working since the boys seemed to be happy while being around her. He managed to see even more things than what Helena told him as her story ended after her mother worked on the spell that would erase their memories the next day, but his vision continued after that.

To be honest, he never really liked children that much but he couldn't help smiling while watching himself and Helena playing together. However, seeing all of this was also very tough, more than he would like to admit, because it made him remember that there was a time in which he really loved his brother, he trusted him more than anyone else and he knew he could rely on him for almost everything; and thinking about the monster Vergil had become now filled him pain, the hate he felt for him was still there but now it was mixed with something else, it felt like he was grieving over someone who wasn't even dead and someone he was going to have to kill with his own hands, but will he be able to? Could he kill his own brother?

\- He is not my brother anymore… Vergil's gone forever – Dante tried to repeat to himself – He killed Kat, he almost killed Helena… I have to kill him, there's no other way…

He was snapped out of his own thoughts when he saw his younger self running past him looking very excited. They were all in Helena's room and Dante began running towards her when he saw her pulling something out of a huge toy box.

\- Cool! You have toy swords too! – He said sounding thrilled – But aren't they a little small?

\- It's because they're not swords Dante – Vergil intervened – They're daggers

\- You are so smart Vergil! – Helena told him brightly beaming at him

Vergil smiled back at her with a hint of pink on his cheeks. Seeing how Helena seemed to be impressed by his brother annoyed the dark haired boy for some reason and he quickly got in between them as he grabbed one of the toy daggers.

\- But they can work as swords – He said pointing the toy at his twin – I challenge you to a fight

\- Uh… no – Vergil replied simply – You just want to show off for her

\- Oh come on Verge! Do you want Helena to think you're a chicken? – Dante began taunting his brother

Watching that scene made Dante remember that despite loving his brother back in the day, they also competed all the time, which, as much as he hated to admit it, used to be a lot of fun.

\- Fine – Vergil agreed grabbing the other dagger and trying to hide the fact that he was blushing even more now

\- I'll win for you – the dark haired boy told Helena with an arrogant smirk on his face which earned him a huge smile from the little girl

She sat on the carpet as she watched amused at the boys playing. After a few minutes Vergil's dagger went flying and he fell to the floor while Dante held his weapon forward and pointed the tip at his face.

\- I win – He said happily and then helped Vergil get back up – As always

Helena also got up and walked to them, it was clear by Vergil's face that he felt bad for losing. Apparently that was something that happened way too often and she immediately felt bad for him.

\- Don't worry Vergil – she told him patting his back – You'll beat Dante one day

\- Hey! – Dante exclaimed looking at her – You're supposed to be on my side!

\- We are all on the same side Dante – Vergil replied in a serious tome before Helena could say anything – We are the only ones of our kind, we have to look out for each other

Hearing that made adult Dante laugh almost hysterically at the irony of his statement.

\- Same side my ass! – He shouted angrily even though he knew no one in the room could hear him – You didn't help her when she needed you! And then you almost killed her!

In that moment Vergil suddenly grabbed his brother by the wrist.

\- Excuse us one second – he told Helena as he dragged Dante to the other side of the room – Dante, I have the feeling something awful is going to happen

\- Yeah we are going to have our memories erased by tomorrow

\- I'm not talking about that – Vergil said almost whispering – I'm talking about her – He continued as he slyly looked at the girl

\- Helena? – Dante asked looking at her too - What about her? She's nice

\- I know, that's why I'm worried… I think her and her family are going to get in _a lot_ of trouble for helping us

\- Trouble with who?

\- The same demon that killed mother… - Vergil said with a very serious look on his face

Dante's face filled with horror just imagining that monster hurting Helena.

\- No! We can't let that happen! – he shouted

\- Shhh! She has her mother to protect her for now, but sadly I don't think that's going to be for too long… she said it's possible for us to get our memories back, when that happens we have to find her and make sure she's save, it's the least we can do for her

Dante nodded in response with a determined look in his eyes. Adult Dante felt Vergil's worry about Helena was genuine, which made him wonder if by the time they teamed up to defeat Mundus he could actually remember her and purposely never mentioned her in front of him. It always appeared to him that Vergil had somehow managed to recover most if not all of his memory so he probably already remembered Helena before becoming corrupted and for whatever reason decided to hide her from him.

While he was thinking about that he didn't realize that everything was disappearing, fading into light. Then, new images began forming, it was morning once again and everyone was gathered in the house's living room.

\- I'm going to miss you – Helena said with a few tears running down her small face

\- Don't be sad! – Dante told her in a comforting tone – You said it yourself, we'll meet again one day

\- Yes, we'll come find you once we recover our memory – Vergil reassured her – We promise

\- I'll be waiting - She nodded and hugged them both at the same time, putting her arms around their necks as they hugged her back tightly

Sparda and Assiel smiled at the sweet sight. He then kneel in front of Helena and patted her head lightly.

\- Don't ever stop being the sweet, wonderful little girl you are – Sparda told her before getting up – And thank you Assiel for everything, I hope one day I can repay you

Assiel just shook her head as she struggled not to cry, knowing that was probably going to be the last time she would ever see Sparda. And with that, they went back into the car. Both twins waved Helena goodbye as their father began driving away.

\- I'm gonna miss her – Dante told his brother with a sad look on his face

\- Me too – Vergil replied as he turned to look into the house one last time

Dante noticed Sparda was driving back into Limbo city, even if he couldn't remember what was going to happen next, he knew where they were going, and the boys seemed to know too as a dark atmosphere soon filled the car. The vehicle eventually stopped outside an orphanage, it wasn't the place where he grew up so this was probably where Vergil was left. They got out of the car as a young woman came out to receive them and Sparda approached her and they began discussing something. Looking back at it, it was pretty obvious Sparda was using some kind of demonic charm on the woman to probably avoid doing all the paperwork required. The fact that Sparda looked like a slightly older version of his sons didn't hurt in accomplishing the task, it was almost as if he was hypnotizing her.

\- This is it… I'm really going to miss you Dante – Vergil told his brother with a sad voice

\- I'm gonna miss you too Verge – he replied with a couple of tears running down his face

The white haired boy tried to give his brother a smile before hugging him tightly.

\- You have to be strong Dante, remember what Helena said, one day I'm going to find you no matter what, we are going to kill that bastard Mundus and then we'll find Helena back, everything's going to be fine

Dante just nodded as he wiped the tears from his face.

\- Too bad things didn't go as planned – Adult Dante muttered with bitterness

Sparda and the woman approached them and Vergil hugged his father goodbye. The man looked completely devastated as the lady took Vergil's hand and they began walking towards the building. But before entering, Vergil turned around and Dante saw him doing the one thing he never thought he would do, even as a kid, Vergil's face was completely covered in tears as he waved his brother goodbye.

\- Take care – was the last thing Vergil said before disappearing

Dante saw his younger self bursting into tears and he began feeling pretty damn sad himself. He wanted to yell at himself and tell the kid to stop crying and man up, but he realized in shock that he was crying too, and then the harsh truth hit him like a bullet, he missed Vergil.

\- Let's go Dante – Sparda said trying to grab the boy's hand

\- No! – He shouted in response pushing his father away – Why are doing this to us?! Why are you ditching us like garbage?

\- Dante… don't say that… this… this is the only way, I…

\- I hate you! Everything is your fault! It's your fault that mother is dead! You were supposed to protect her! And you couldn't… you even put Helena's family in danger

\- Dante, don't do this to me please, I had no choice – Sparda said with anguish and guilt written all over his face as he tried to approach his son

\- Get away from me! The thing that killed mother was a demon… Just like you! – The boy shouted full of hatred - I hate you! I hate you!

Dante could see in Sparda's face and eyes the agony that the boy's words were causing him.

\- Dante! Dante, wake up!

He heard Helena's echoed voice calling him and he saw how everything was disappearing again. He suddenly opened his eyes and found himself back in his bed, he realized that what he felt in the vision was real because he had tears on his face and Helena was staring at him with a worried expression. She had seen everything and had perceived the pain in his heart while recovering that memory so she thought it was better to wake him up.

\- Don't ever mess with my memory again – he said getting up quickly whipping his tears away from his face

Helena knew exactly why he was so irritated.

\- You miss him – she muttered

\- No! I don't miss anyone! – he replied angrily

Of course he wasn't going to admit it and the fact that he was so mad only meant that she was right. She also understood now a little bit more why Dante always seemed to resent his father, and why he has a hard time accepting his demonic side; it was so sad that the last minutes Sparda had with his son were of Dante yelling how much he hated him.

\- Your father is proud of you – She told him remembering what her mother told her in the dream

Dante's eyes began filling with tears once again as he simply walked away and locked himself in the bathroom and trashed it in a fit of anger. Everything was just too much for him, no matter what he did, no matter how hard he tried, he always ended up losing what meant everything to him. Why did his life have to be like this? Everyone he ever loved or cared about ended up dead or leaving him, his mother, then his brother and father. Helena was the only one he had left and even then, every day he was reminded in his nightmares that he was going to lose her too, just like everyone else.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22:

Helena heard the noise of breaking glass and other things coming from the bathroom. The whole situation was a little unsettling, but she understood Dante, she knew very well what it was like to have a rage fit so she decided it was better to just leave him alone and wait until he calmed down.

Maybe she shouldn't have made him remember all of that. From the time living with Dante she had learned that on the inside he felt very lonely, but he had made himself believe that living like that was ok because he thought that was the only choice he had since he seemed to lose literally everyone in his life. And remembering the tight bond he shared with his brother and the cruel way he was ripped from his family had apparently reopened all the wounds believed to be already healed. Perhaps no one could ever completely heal from something like that.

After a while Dante entered the bedroom again, he looked a lot more calmed, he didn't seem angry anymore, just a little upset.

\- I'm sorry – He apologized – I don't know why it affected me so much… after all this time

\- It's because you care about them… even if you don't want to admit it – She made a pause before continuing – Listen Dante, if you want I can make you forget about it again

\- No… - He replied looking down - Despite everything… it was nice remembering that at some point I had a family… a brother… it just pisses me off that I had to lose _everyone_ … sometimes I… I feel so powerless… regardless of having killed Mundus, I can't get anything he took away from me back… and just when I thought I had Vergil back… everything went to hell and now I'm gonna have to kill the thing that is controlling him… killing whatever is left of my brother along with it… - He finally looked up at her, it was obvious he was hurting – Actually, I should thank you for making me remember… cause now I… I've come to accept that I don't really hate my brother… nor my father

Helena just hugged him, he looked so vulnerable at that moment she felt like she was embracing the seven-year-old boy from the vision. Dante didn't like to show that vulnerability because he thought it made him weak, but to her, it just made him human, despite not having such blood in his veins.

\- You know… - He continued trailing off – I wish I could save him too… but I think the real Vergil is already dead, just like the rest of my family

Maybe she should also accept the fact that Vergil was gone forever, if Dante had come to terms with the loss of the last member of his family then probably she should too.

\- Dante… you are not alone anymore… you told me that once, remember? I'll always be by your side

Dante tried to smile at her but failed as the thoughts of his nightmares began coming back. It wasn't only the fact that in his dreams she was dead in his arms, what had been hunting his mind this past few days was the horrifying, too gruesome to describe, way she had been abused and murdered, and the putrid place they were in, it wasn't Limbo, it was a place far more sinister, far more evil… a place that could only be called Hell.

He tried to set those frightening thoughts aside, after all they were just dreams, nothing else. He remembered how the first time he met her he also had a nightmare about her being killed but he prevented that from happening by going after her and saving her. This time had to be no different, there was no way he was going to let it happen, even if it cost him his life.

\- Thank you Helena - He told her caressing her cheek with the back of his fingers – I've never opened up to someone like this before… you're the only one that has seen every side of me, the good, the bad…

\- And I still think you are most amazing individual in the whole world

\- And you're the most beautiful person inside and out that I've ever met - He said finally managing to smile - Twice

She giggled as she remembered the visions from the past.

\- It's crazy to think that we already knew each other…

\- The curious this is… - He replied in slight amazement - I fell in love with you before I even knew who you were

\- I guess some things are just meant to be – She said smiling sweetly at him

There was something about that smile that would always take his breath away no matter how many times he saw it. He couldn't resist any longer and kissed her, wishing he could just stop time and linger in that moment forever because deep inside he knew this was just the calm before the storm.

* * *

Later that evening Helena was watching the news, after all the things that had happened she decided it was better not to try her magic on Dante again, at least for a while, so she guessed there was really no point in continuing to study. During the last couple of days, all her time had been divided between learning the spells and her demanding boyfriend, making her completely disconnect from the world so she was watching the newscast out of pure curiosity.

What she saw horrified her. Apparently, the big demon she killed days before was just the beginning of an endless human slaughter. The rumors of demonic creatures roaming the city at night were already pretty bad last time she checked the news, but now they weren't only rumors anymore, there was something killing anyone who dared to be on the streets at night.

Realization slowly hit her, this was undoubtedly Vergil's doing since he thought she was dead he was probably still looking for "Assiel's daughter" and was sending this horde of demons to find her at any cost. She couldn't believe all of this chaos was because of her, she _had_ to do something to stop him.

Dante was lying next to her watching the TV with her, but for some strange reason, he didn't seem to care at all.

\- Dante get dressed, we have to go kill those demons – Helena got out of the bed and began putting on some clothes quickly

Without even waiting for him she made her way to the front door. But when she placed her hand on the knob and tried to open it, something immediately shut it back. She realized Dante's hand was now resting on the door and it was him the one that pushed the door close again.

\- What are you doing?! – She asked impatiently and noticed he had only put on his underwear – Why haven't you gotten dressed yet?

\- Because we are not going anywhere – He declared

\- What?!

\- It's dangerous

\- Are you fucking kidding me, Dante? You can kill those demons in minutes

\- I know you can kill them in minutes too, but it's still dangerous for you

\- No, it's not! – She told him getting exasperated - If you don't want to come then don't, I'll go alone

Helena tried opening the door once again but this time Dante blocked her way completely.

\- I don't think so – He said with his back now resting against the door

\- Dante, get out of my way, there are innocent people dying!

\- So what? Why do you even care so much?

Helena froze for a second, she couldn't believe what he just said as she remembered Vergil asked her the same thing.

\- Why do I even care? – She repeated his question in disbelieve – Are you serious?

\- Yeah, I told you I'm selfish

\- I know you Dante, you are not selfish, and why are you even acting like this?! This is so not like you

\- That's not the point, the point here is that Vergil thinks you are dead, if you go out and start killing his puppets then he'll know the truth and he'll come for you again

\- Probably, but what's your plan then? Hiding from Vergil your whole life?

\- I'm not hiding – He answered getting a little annoyed - I'm just keeping you safe

\- But we're the only ones that can stop this! That can save those people!

\- What makes you think I give a damn about any of them?

Helena just stared at him in shock for a couple of seconds, it was hard for her to believe this was Dante speaking, the Dante with strong sense of justice she knew.

\- Where's your humanity? – She muttered

\- My humanity died that day along with you! Then I decided I wouldn't try to protect anyone else because every time I try to make things right something goes wrong and everyone around me just dies! But that was it! I'm just going to live my life and not care about anyone else but you and me, period!

\- What… - Helena found herself struggling not to cry – What about mankind?

\- I'm done – He simply said – I just don't care anymore

\- If you just don't give a fuck then why did you save me? – She said not being able to hold back the tears any longer – And I'm not talking about the demons

\- I only did what anyone else would have done

\- That's not true! You did what anyone else in my life bothered to do! – Her face was soon covered in tears as she remembered those times - When I met you, my heart was still beating but I felt completely dead inside, the drugs were the only thing that kept me going, that helped me cope with the pain. I never thought I would be able to laugh or feel happiness ever again until you came into my life and that's because you cared when nobody else did. And now you're telling me you just don't care at all? The Dante I fell in love with did everything in his power to help me, to get me out of my depression even when I thought it was useless... You could have just let me drown in my own misery, but you didn't… and the only reason I'm still alive is because you cared… even when I was just a stranger to you, just like all those people…

\- Helena… I… - hearing her say that was very hard for him because he hated to think about how broken she was back then

\- I know you do care about others Dante, otherwise I wouldn't be here, you're just scared – She said looking deeply into his eyes – You're scared something is going to happen to me, I know your nightmares are about me dying

Dante was left speechless, the way she could always read him like an open book would never cease to amaze him.

\- We cannot hide forever – She continued - Vergil will find out I'm alive anyways and you are going to have to face your fears sooner or later, you are just delaying it and the only way you'll be truly at peace is once we get this over with – She walked to him and took his hand – Listen, when you love someone, that person is supposed to bring out the best in you, I don't want to be reason why you're scared, I want to be the reason why you're happy

\- You are

\- Then show it, come on we can do this – She grabbed his other hand in a reassuring way - Together

Deep inside he knew she was right, he was going to have to stop Vergil sooner or later and doing so was the only way he would be sure she was going to be safe.

\- So this is going to be it… the final fight – He said looking anxious

\- You've got this in the bag – She replied in a comforting tone, despite the fact that she knew it wasn't going to be easy - I believe in you

* * *

Dante began driving through the completely empty streets of the city. He didn't have to go too far before he sensed the smell of blood and then he saw it. A male figure, staring at him from the darkness. He could clearly tell it wasn't Vergil, just a random demon.

\- DANTE! – the figure hissed pointing a finger at him

\- Yep, that's me – He replied stopping his bike as the demon now focused on Helena

\- The whore is alive! – He growled furiously

\- Shut the fuck up! – Dante said angrily getting off the motorcycle and summoning Rebellion – I haven't had much sleep these past few days so let's make this quick!

As expected, the demon dragged them both into Limbo as more of its kind began appearing. Helena got off the bike too summoning her own weapon. During the fight, Dante noticed something was off, for some reason it seemed like Helena's scent made the demons go on a rampage, even the big demon he was fighting was more focused on her than on him.

\- Hey! – Dante shouted trying to get the monster's attention – You're fighting me!

\- Get the angel! - The big demon commanded completely ignoring him

Dante finally realized what was going on, he recalled Phineas' words about Helena's true nature and it became obvious that the presence of a heavenly being was sending the demons into a blood lust frenzy. Thankfully, Helena easily got rid of the lesser demons with her light arrows, instantly killing them, while he took care of the bigger one.

\- That was very impressive – He told her smirking once all the demons were dead

\- Huh? – She said arching her brow – I thought you didn't like me killing demons

\- Nah, I was just worried, it's actually pretty cool – He admitted as his smirk grew wider – Let's see who can kill more

\- You haven't changed a bit – Helena replied laughing, glad that he was back to his old self

Once they were back into the human world, they got back on track with the demon hunt. They spent the next few hours killing all the demons they could find roaming the city, saving some innocent lives in the process.

The couple was about to get on the motorcycle once again when they heard the voice of the one individual they had been waiting for. Vergil.

\- Well, well, it turns out you were nothing but a deceiving cunt, you're alive after all

\- Show yourself you piece of shit! – Dante shouted

\- As you wish – The next second a portal opened before them

Vergil came through it, but he wasn't alone. Helena dropped her daggers in complete shock and Dante's eyes widened for a second when he saw the man that Vergil forced through the portal. The man's expression instantly filled with terror the moment he recognized the demon hunter.

Fear began to creep into Helena's mind and she instinctively hid behind Dante, not because of Vergil, but because of the person standing next to him. She held onto Dante's arm and she noticed he was trembling in rage, his furious eyes fixated on the terrified human in front of him.

\- Isn't this a heartwarming reunion? – Vergil said grinning as he turned to look at his companion – Judging by her reaction, it seems like you left quite the impression on her

Vergil's words snapped Helena out of her thoughts as she realized her fear was completely irrational because there was no way that man could hurt her again, especially now that the rest of his gang was dead. But why did Vergil bring him here?

Dante seemed to be putting all his efforts into not launching at him to kill him while Helena slowly let go of his arm. She picked up her weapons and stepped forward glaring at the man, but before she could get any closer, Vergil stopped her with a hand gesture.

\- I didn't bring him here for you – He said looking entertained by the whole situation – I brought him for Dante, I'm sure he wants to kill him as much as you do, if not more

\- Kill me? – the man asked Vergil almost in panic – No, please

Despite Vergil's words, she knew this couldn't be a favor on his part, this had to be a trap of some sort. While she was trying to figure out Vergil's true intentions, out of nowhere Dante pulled one of his guns out and shot at the man. Before the bullet could hit his skull, Vergil deflected the projectile with Yamato.

\- Come on Dante! – He exclaimed - This is one of the people who sadistically enjoyed your beloved girlfriend's agony for almost six hours! And you are just going to shoot him? I bet you prefer him to have a slow and painful death

\- What the hell do you really want?! – Helena shouted at Vergil in exasperation

\- I think you already know that

The man was staring at Dante with a completely frightened look on his face, then he turned to gaze at Helena.

\- Please, don't let him kill me – He told her with a trembling voice referring to Dante

She stared back at him with a blank look, finding incredible the change in his demeanor from the last time they saw him. That night he was so proud bragging about what he and his gang had done and now he was trembling in fear and begging for his life.

\- You humans are so pathetic – Vergil said in a mix of amusement and surprise, then he looked at Dante out of the corner of his eyes to check his reaction – You are asking her for mercy after what you and your friends did? Did you show her any mercy when she begged you to stop?

\- I…

Helena noticed Dante was starting not to feel very good, Vergil's words made him grab his own head in pain as if he was having the worst headache and his hand was still trembling in anger.

\- You didn't stop – Vergil continued, a small smirk forming on his lips - You just became more and more violent until you almost killed her and then you simply left her in that alley to bleed to death, am I not correct?

\- Look, I… I'm sorry – He answered looking at Helena in complete fear – I'm really sorry

His apology meant nothing to her as she was more concerned about Dante, whose breathing was becoming heavy as if trying to calm himself down.

\- You're just saying that because you know you're going to die – Vergil told him grinning – Don't worry, Hell is an interesting place

\- No, please… - The man replied still looking at her – Please, can't we just forget about it?

\- Just forget about it?! – Dante growled in a demonic voice, his eyes already crimson red – I'm gonna fucking shred you to pieces!

Vergil's smile grew wider when he saw how furious his twin was, everything was going according to his plan. In that moment Helena finally realized why Vergil had brought the last of her rapists with him, why he said he had brought him here for Dante; he was using him as human bait.

\- Dante calm down – She said grabbing his arm again – This is what Vergil wants, he wants you to lose control

The way Vergil looked at her only indicated that she was right. But it was too late, Dante bent over clutching his chest in pain, his head buried in his other hand, as his trembling became more violent. Helena saw how his hands were beginning to change into dark red claws, then his whole body started changing too, but before it completely did he turned to face her.

\- Run! – He ordered

The next second, Dante had fully transformed into a demon. Helena stared at him in amazement for a brief moment, there was only one word to describe him, deadly. Before she could even blink, Devil Triggered Dante appeared next to the man, and it was only then that Helena realized Vergil was gone.

She jumped in surprise and fear when one of the man's arms landed at her feet as an ear tearing scream filled the empty street. She clapped her hands over her ears as she saw in complete shock guts, flesh and blood flying all over the place, the agonizing screams soon came to an end as she saw the man's disfigured head rolling on the pavement. Dante had literally ripped him to shreds with his bare hands in only a couple of seconds.

He kept on tearing the dead body apart and Helena remembered that her mother told her to be careful with him while triggered so she decided to obey Dante's last command and started running away from there. She turned to look at him as she kept running not noticing that a car was coming from the opposite direction. The vehicle stopped just in time before running over her, but she seemed more worried about the driver than herself. It was a police car that probably was alerted by the loud screams.

\- Are you ok miss? – the police officer asked her as he got out of the car

\- No! Don't come here! – She shouted at him desperately – Get back in the car and leave!

Before the officer could do or say anything the car was knocked over by an almost invisible force, sending it flying across the road until it crashed into a closed store.

Dante now stood before the cop and grabbed him by the neck.

\- No! Dante stop! – Helena shouted at him but he ignored her

She knew Dante couldn't control his demonic form yet so the only option she had if she wanted to save that man's life was getting his attention somehow. So without thinking of the consequences, and absolutely forgetting about her mother's warning, she summoned her bow and shot a light arrow as close to Dante's head as possible without hurting him.

The arrow flew past Dante's face and it certainly got his attention as he let go of the policeman and turned around to glare at Helena with vicious eyes.

\- Run! – She yelled at the cop and he quickly got up and bolted out of there

Helena stepped back nervously as Dante stepped forward. She looked into his eyes but she saw no trace of the Dante she knew, all she could see was burning rage ready to be unleashed on whoever was foolish enough to get in his way.

Everything happened too fast, even for her enhanced Nephilim speed, she felt Dante's claw digging deeply into her throat. She found herself unable to breathe as she felt the blood pouring from the growing wounds on her neck and everything began fading into darkness. She was sure that if she was still human she would be dead by now. Maybe she was indeed going to die because just before fainting she started hallucinating, she saw blue swords piercing through Dante's chest, and distantly felt his grip on her loosening, but by the time her body hit the floor she was already unconscious.

\- I can't let you kill her just yet – Vergil appeared from behind and pushed Dante away from her – I still need her

Triggered Dante began pulling Vergil's blistering summoned swords from his chest as if it was nothing, but still, he looked somewhat tired. Apparently, Dante couldn't hold his demon form for too long. When he pulled out the last sword he turned back to normal.

\- What happened? – He muttered panting and with a perplexed look on his face.

And then he saw Helena's bleeding body on the pavement. He could tell she wasn't dead as he noticed the wounds on her neck were slowly healing. However, he started panicking as he wondered how the hell he allowed something like that to happen. He quickly rushed to her side and made sure she was breathing.

\- What have you done?! – He shouted at Vergil as he furiously began walking to where he was

\- What have _I_ done? - Vergil replied almost sounding offended – My sword is clean, but look at your hands

Dante looked down at his blood covered hands and was struck by an instant feeling of dread, his heart stopped for a second as realization washed over him. He was the one that did it, he had hurt the one person he loved more than anything in the world, the one person who meant more to him than his own life.

\- No – He muttered shaking his head in denial – No, it can't be

\- Me, saving her from you, who would have thought, huh? – Vergil said in a mocking tone

Dante kept staring at his hands in a mix of disbelieve and disgust, he seemed to be having a nervous breakdown still not being able to accept reality.

\- Now die! – Vergil took the chance of Dante being in extreme mental distress to stab him with Yamato through the heart.

He growled in pain as blood began dripping from his mouth and he fell to his knees.

Helena's wounds healed enough to make her regain consciousness once again but, much to her dismay, only opened her eyes to see Dante being impaled by Vergil.

Dante's body fell to the pavement as Vergil kept pressing Yamato against his heart. He tried pulling the sword out but he was losing blood at an alarming rate and was slowly losing consciousness.

\- I knew she was going to be your downfall – Vergil told his twin and a grin formed on his face as he savored the moment – I win

\- No! – Helena shouted in panic – Vergil please don't kill him!

He only laughed at her in response, he was finally going to get rid of the nuisance that was Dante to his plans.

Helena started crying as she was too weak to even stand up and do something to help him, there had to be something she could do, anything.

\- Vergil if you kill him, I'll die – She said summoning one her daggers and putting it against her own neck – And you will never be able to obtain Sparda's power

Vergil slowly turned and glared at her irately, considering the way she spat to his face the other time, he knew she was crazy enough to slice her own throat and given she was half human she was most likely not going to survive that. She left him with no choice but to leave Dante's unconscious body alone.

\- You stupid whore! – He spat approaching her and grabbing her by the arm – I'll kill you both once I open the gate!

Vergil opened a portal with his sword and pulled her up violently as he began dragging her through it. Helena stared at Dante's unconscious body on the street and was relieved when she saw that he was still breathing. But the comforting feeling didn't last long as she realized what she had done, she had just sealed mankind's fate.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23:

As soon as they crossed the portal Helena pushed Vergil away from her, managing to break free from his grip. It seemed like they were in the same basement as the other time, but this was a different room. The place was spacious and was practically empty, the only thing in the room was a platform in the middle with a big round structure on it. It looked like the frame of a portal, it had to be the dimensional gate that Vergil was seeking to open. In front of the round frame there was a pedestal where the red and blue amulets rested and in the center there was a key hole, that was where Helena's necklace should be, but it wasn't there at the moment.

\- We can do this the easy way or the hard way – Vergil said as he tried to grab her once again

\- Fuck you! – Helena's fist immediately crashed into his jaw from the side with all the strength she could muster

Surprisingly, the impact made him stagger back and he smiled slightly as he spat out some blood. Even after knowing her Nephilim powers had resurfaced, he really wasn't expecting her to be that strong, but he guessed it made sense given she was the granddaughter of one of the only seven archangels to have ever existed, in any case, that would only make things more entertaining for him.

\- Hard way it is then – He replied menacingly, his eyes shining with malice

* * *

Dante gasped for some air as he jumped up. His heart was beating incredible fast and he desperately began looking around. The last thing he remembered before passing out was Helena begging Vergil not to kill him, whatever she did after that worked because otherwise he would be dead.

He stared at the blood stains on the pavement and a wave of pain and guilt overwhelmed his heart, almost bringing him to tears. He had let his anger and desire for revenge consume him to the point where he completely lost control and contact with reality. It made him feel so disgusted, he despised himself for having hurt Helena and knowing that even after what he had done she had risked her life to safe his, made him feel even worse.

He got on his bike and drove past the pool of blood and remains of that son of a bitch, he was a little shocked to see the brutal way he had absolutely torn him apart while triggered, but at least he now knew that asshole finally got what he deserved. Pressing the throttle to full he began driving out of the city, he had to go to where Helena was fast, the only problem was he wasn't really sure where Vergil had taken her and this time he had no time to call upon Phineas to ask him.

If Sparda's gate was so important, then he must have hidden it in a place where he could have kept a close eye on it. Something inside of him was telling him the gate was in Paradise, his childhood home, probably underground since he hadn't seen anything suspicious last time he was there. He was going to risk it, this was all or nothing. The mansion was about an hour away if he hurried, all he hoped for was that Helena would be safe by the time he got there, that he wouldn't be too late this time.

* * *

Helena summoned her daggers as she glared at Vergil, who seemed to be amused by her determination to face him.

\- Are you really going to fight me? – There was mockery in his voice – Has my idiotic brother even taught you how to?

\- Your brother? – She asked back almost laughing – You can drop your act now, we already know you're not really Vergil

His smile faded almost instantly when he heard that, surprise flashed across his face for a second as he wondered how they knew. It didn't take him long to deduce that it was probably that old demon Dante was talking to the one who told them the truth. But whether they knew it or not wasn't really important anymore, fate was already decided.

\- It's a good thing you know, I was sick and tired of pretending to be related to the traitor Sparda

\- You're just a loser demon controlling Vergil's body

\- Loser demon?! – He sounded completely insulted – Who do you think you're talking to, you pitiful wingless angel?! I'm the Great Duke of Hell, Astaroth

Helena actually wasn't expecting him to tell her his real name, let alone say he was part of Hell's elite. But as far as she was concerned, he could be totally lying just to intimidate her.

\- Great Duke? – She asked sounding unconvinced - You really can't be that powerful if you need to use someone else's body

\- I needed the Nephilim's body to cross between worlds easily, that's all – He replied nonchalant - He was so blinded by his craving for power to defeat his brother Dante that he was so easy to manipulate, and now I'm in total control of his body

\- Leave him alone!

\- Oh don't tell me you care about the other son of Sparda too, after all the things he's done?!

\- That wasn't him, it was you! – She replied clenching her teeth

\- Yes, but still, you don't even know him! He was no saint

\- Maybe, but I know he's not really evil, I know there's good in him, I've seen it – She remembered the visions and the smart boy who was once worried about her well-being

Annoyance began to grow on his face as he rolled his eyes. It had always made him sick how angels would see the good in everyone.

\- Whatever you've seen in him, it's all gone now, I'm all there's left of him. I could've crushed him with my eyes closed back in Hell, but I decided to use him instead, so you should be thankful he's not dead already

\- If you're so strong then, why do you want Sparda's power? Why don't you fight Dante like a man?

He started laughing hysterically at her naivety. Apparently, archangel's almighty wisdom was something she hadn't inherited.

\- You really believe Dante is very strong, don't you? You should know that he is nothing but an insect compared to my real power!

\- Real power? – She muttered nervously, he seemed so sure of himself that she was actually starting to believe him

\- Right now my powers are limited by this weak body and of course by Sparda's seal, but opening the gate will mean Hell and this world will be connected once again, granting me not only Sparda's power, but I will be able to use my own full powers in this world as well

This was far more serious than what she had initially thought, if he managed to open the gate then this self-claimed Duke of Hell would have his full powers back on top of Sparda's power and with the seal broken, all the demons would be able to freely roam the human world.

\- Chat was fun, but as you already know, all I need to become the absolute ruler of this world and Hell is your blood – He pointed Yamato in her direction

Helena held onto her weapons tightly, knowing that she couldn't beat him in a fight, but at least she could make some time. Hopefully Dante would arrive before it was too late, she knew he was going to find a way to get to her, but for a second she panicked, life had unfortunately taught her that the hero doesn't always arrive on time, that happy endings don't always happen.

If he accomplished his goal, then not even Dante would be able to stop him. What if she couldn't make enough time? Then everything would be lost, and it would all be her fault. Nervously she looked at one of her daggers, it would be so easy to end everything right now, all she had to do was slice her own throat and she would be saving everyone, one simple move of her wrist and no one would ever be able to break Sparda's seal.

She actually considered doing it, but then she thought about Dante, the one person she would be letting down if she killed herself without even putting up a fight. If she did so, then that would mean everything he did for her was all for nothing. She had to fight, for him. Taking a deep breath she raised her daggers up, ready for combat.

Vergil's grin came back as he was fully convinced she had no chance against him. Without any warning he launched at her, swinging his sword. Helena succeeded in blocking his onslaught just in time, but he immediately attacked again. She was using all her concentration on trying to block his nonstop attacks, he was so fast that he didn't even give her the opportunity to counterattack.

After a while they separated, both of them panting but it was evident she was the more exhausted of the two.

\- Not bad for a half-blood – He said regaining his breath - You know, if you didn't stink of angel I would actually consider keeping you as my whore

\- I'd rather be dead!

\- I figured you would say that, but don't worry, you will be – A handful of blue swords appeared over his head as he got ready to launch them at her

Helena started running to dodge them. She summoned her bow and began shooting at him too. He easily dodged her attacks as well, but since he was a lot faster, it was only a matter of time before he succeeded in hitting her.

She grabbed her right arm when she felt the blade cutting her skin, there was a large cut near her shoulder that made her drop her weapon. Something in Vergil's eyes shined when he saw the red liquid streaming from the wound behind her hand. He took advantage of her distraction and managed to strike her in the leg with another of his summoned blades, it went right through her flesh making her cry out in pain and fall to her knees.

Knowing he had already won the fight, he tackled her to her floor, over the platform in the middle of the room and got on top of her. He summoned a couple more of his blue swords and send them towards her, one of them went through her chest, another one through her right hand and the last one through her abdomen.

She fought back the urge to cry in pain and tried to move but he had her tightly pinned against the floor holding her good hand so she couldn't pull the swords out and heal.

\- Do you know what the thing that demons enjoy doing the most is?

\- Get off me! – Helena shouted desperately having a hard time keeping her anxiety in line as she felt disgusted at the way he was sitting on top of her

\- The thing we enjoy the most is desecrating and torturing angels – A sadistic smile drew on his face – But unfortunately, the only place where both races can meet is the human world because angels can't go to Hell and demons can't set foot in Heaven, but you… you have demon blood in you too which means you can be dragged to Hell. I think you out of everyone already have an idea of what demons there would do to you knowing you are an archangel's descendant, knowing you're the whore of the traitor's spawn – He began laughing at the idea – I'm going to have a little fun with you myself – He easily guessed what her biggest fear was and ran his free hand up her side and under her shirt, stopping to roughly grab one of her breasts

\- Don't touch me! – tears began to stream down her face as she was beginning to have a panic attack

\- You can scream and cry all you want, no one is going to hear you down here

As her blood began filling the platform, the pedestal where the amulets were resting began shinning. Vergil's eyes glinted with triumph as he looked at the base with eagerness, he had done it, the blood had worked, now all he needed to do was use Assiel's key to open the gate.

In that very second, there was a loud noise, almost like an explosion that made the roof on one part of the room to collapse, causing a cloud of dust to rise into the air. Once the dust cleared they realized it hadn't been an explosion, Dante had busted in using Eryx to destroy the roof from above.

When he noticed the suggestive position Vergil and Helena were in, he got infuriated. With the blood in his veins boiling he dashed towards him, grabbed him by the neck and smashed his head against the nearest wall making it crack under the pressure.

\- Don't you ever touch her again! – Dante growled, his blue eyes were beginning to change to their demonic red color, he was losing control once again

\- Go ahead Dante – Vergil answered snickering – Trigger so you kill everyone in this room

Dante's rage dissipated for a second as he remembered what he had done last time he triggered. Vergil took the opportunity to kick him away and ran to where his sword had fallen from the impact. Dante ran to Helena's side and helped her pull the swords out of her body. He got worried when he saw the considerable amount of blood she had lost and the way she looked completely terrified but found some solace as he realized she was fine and healing already.

\- Helena… - He said cupping her face with his right hand – I'm so sorry… I never wanted to hurt you… I'll never forgive myself for it

\- Stop tormenting yourself – She told him sweetly as she pulled him closer – I know it wasn't your fault

He hugged her tightly to him as if to reassure her that he was there and wasn't going to let anything bad happen to her ever again. He was going to protect her with his life if it came down to it.

With Yamato in his hands, Vergil set his eyes on the glowing pedestal as he felt the key inside his pocket, he was so close.

Quickly realizing the situation Dante got to his feet and stood between him and his objective.

\- Not so fast Vergil, or whatever your real name is

\- Yes, you don't have to call me that anymore as you already know the truth – He replied with an air of superiority – The name's Astaroth, Great Duke of Hell

\- Well Astaroth – Dante pronounced the name with contempt - Your days in this world are over

Dante summoned his own sword and wasted no time in attacking the demon. Their swords collided in the air creating sparks, both of them fighting to kill. It was then that Dante became fully convinced the person he was fighting was not his brother because real Vergil's fighting style was graceful and refined yet powerful, this demon's style was uncontrolled and brutal, almost the complete opposite of Vergil.

The duel was very even at first but after some minutes it became obvious one of them was stronger. It could be attributed to Dante being more in control of his own body or to Astaroth's lack of practice in fighting using Vergil's, but the odds seemed to be in Dante's favor.

Predicting his imminent defeat if he didn't act quick, Vergil, or rather Astaroth, stuck Yamato into the ground, summoning a doppelganger into the battlefield. That was Vergil's own version of the initial devil trigger, which he would use to his advantage because he knew Dante wasn't going to risk using his.

All he needed was Dante to be distracted with the doppelganger for a second so he could get to the pedestal and use the key to open the portal. Quickly he began making his way to the round structure as Dante ran after him, but was stopped by the doppelganger who blocked his way.

Astaroth could almost taste victory as he was only meters away from his destiny. Too carried away in the moment, he had completely forgotten about the other Nephilim in the place and was taken off guard when he felt a sharp pain in the chest and his clothes getting soaking wet from his blood. He looked down only to see four arrows made out of pure light going through his chest.

\- You… - He grunted glaring at Helena who was standing on the other side of the room holding her bow – I'll make you pay for th…

Before he could finish the sentence Dante stood before him and with a final move Rebellion went through his chest. Dante kept pushing the sword until his opponent was on the floor. The whole thing was way too familiar in Dante's mind, it reminded him of what happened last time he fought Vergil after defeating Mundus, only this time he wasn't going to stop.

\- Are you really going to kill your own brother? – the demon grunted

\- You are not my brother! – Dante growled back, he could feel the rage within him growing as he remembered all the atrocious things this impostor had done in Vergil's name

\- If you kill me, you'll be killing him too – He weakly smiled as if he still had one final trick up his sleeve

Dante could feel his very own demonic energy fighting its way to control him once again. He tried to keep it at bay as he kept pressing his sword against Vergil's heart.

Helena watched in horror, she didn't want the real Vergil to die, but that was the only choice if they wanted to get rid of the demon controlling him, besides she had promised she wasn't going to interfere so she just covered her eyes not wanting to whiteness Vergil's death.

After a few seconds, she heard Vergil's grunts slowly fading and couldn't help to peek to see if it was all finally over. But she couldn't believe her eyes and dropped her hands in complete shock when she saw what was happening.

There was something that looked like smoke coming out of Vergil's body, and she soon realized that the growing fog seemed to have a will of its own as it all began gathering behind Dante. He was too blinded by his rage to even notice it, but Helena saw in disbelieve how the smoke began forming a human figure behind him. She instantly recognized it, it looked exactly like Vergil, but it was like a hollow version of him.

Hollow Vergil glanced at her and his form changed slightly, the Hollow demon now looked just like Dante as he smirked at her, imitating the original perfectly. Real Dante was still unaware of any of this and before Helena could even warn him about the demon leaving Vergil's body, it turned into smoke once again as she saw how the mist began surrounding Dante, who seemed to be completely lost in a rage induced trance.

In that moment Helena remembered Phineas words for Dante: "Don't let your anger get the best of you, or you'll become vulnerable to corruption as well". It was happening, that demon was trying to take control over Dante's body just like he had done with Vergil.

\- No! – She shouted running to where they were

She pushed Dante away from Vergil's unconscious body and they both fell to the floor, snapping him out of the trance and making him come back to reality.

\- What the hell are you doing?! – His anger was still there but it was beginning to subdue

\- That demon Astaroth, was trying to take control over you!

\- What?! – He asked looking confused

They were interrupted by a loud laugh, his voice was different since he didn't sound like Vergil anymore. He had wasted no time, while Helena went to save Dante from the corruption of his soul he had taken the chance to grab the key from Vergil's pocket and use it to open the gate.

\- It's over, I've already won – He said as the dimensional gate began opening and Sparda's seal broke


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N:** The final chapter ended up being a lot longer than what I expected so I had to divide it into two. Here's part one, hope you enjoy.

* * *

Chapter 24:

The earth began to tremble with so much force the roof started to crumble and began to fall over them. Dante grabbed Helena's hand as they took refuge behind one of the columns in the room. From there they could see how an immense amount of energy coming from the portal began surrounding the demon Astaroth. His shape had changed once again, he was now showing his true form. He was tall, probably as tall as Sparda and around 6'6". A dark gray, almost black armor covered his entire body, the only visible part was his face and the pair of horns on his head. Once the demon got his own body back, he summoned a big sword which was the same color as his armor but had visible dark energy emanating from it.

With the roof having almost completely collapsed, Dante and Helena could also see rays of energy coming from the portal and going up to the sky before shooting into all directions. Even if they didn't know exactly what that was, they guessed they were demons crossing the portal from Hell and going into different parts of the city, which meant that Limbo was collapsing into the human world once again, only this time was for good.

\- Isn't this wonderful?! – Astaroth exclaimed apparently addressing his fellow demons – You are all free now! No more boundaries! No more Limbo!

The flow of energy coming from the now open gate wasn't stopping as it kept surrounding the Duke of Hell. He took a look at his hands for a second, contemplating on his new practically unlimited powers and then began pacing around the room as if thinking what to do next.

\- Hiding already you Nephilim scum? – He finally asked disdainfully – The real fight hasn't even started yet!

Without giving any other warning he shot a blast of energy to the column where Dante and Helena were hiding, instantly destroying it. Dante covered her from the impact with his body so she wouldn't get hit by any of the pieces of concrete that went flying everywhere.

\- Stay here – He ordered her – No matter what happens, no matter what you see or hear don't do anything, don't draw attention to yourself

She nodded nervously as Dante took hold of Rebellion and went to face the demon.

Astaroth simply stayed immobile as he saw how Dante ran to fight him. He waited until the last second to easily dodge the Nephilim's attack and with a simple move of his hand, he hit Dante on the side and sent him flying several feet away and through a wall.

\- I told you so – the demon turned his attention to Helena – He is just an insect

Ignoring Dante's warning, she ran to where his body had landed. He was already getting up and seemed to be fine but there was a hint of worry on his face. This was reminding him of Mundus' infinite power while his Hell Gate was still open, maybe if they could close the portal again that would weaken Astaroth, or at least make him vulnerable.

\- Helena, grab Yamato and try closing the gate, that would seal my father's power again, I'll distract him

She quickly obeyed and began looking for the katana frantically. All the debris that had fallen from the roof made it impossible for her to see it, so she began moving the big pieces of concrete in the hope of finding it. Only a couple of seconds later, Dante's body was sent flying across the room again, this time he landed right next to her. She was beginning to panic seeing the enormous power difference between the two.

\- Dante… are you ok?

\- Fuck… - He groaned in pain as he put a hand on his ribs

He tried to stand up at the same time he felt his ribs reattaching themselves, he couldn't believe all Astaroth did was kick him on the side. Fighting was starting to seem useless but he wasn't going to give up, he was determined to keep going until he found a way to kill him.

\- Wait! – She stopped him – You are going to have to Trigger or you'll die

\- No! – He shouted – You saw what happened last time I did it

\- Dante please… you have to stop fighting your inner devil, I know you think that being a demon means not having feelings, means being evil, but that's not true, the blood in your veins doesn't define whether you are good or evil. The worst monsters I've encountered were not demons, they were humans… and believe it or not, the most caring person I've ever met in my life is half demon, it's you – She said placing a hand on his cheek – Don't fight your inner demon, embrace it

Dante nodded trying to accept her words, but was still very troubled and conflicted over it. On one hand he didn't want to take the risk of hurting her again, but on the other, it seemed like he had no choice since his rival was too powerful this time.

Using his unparalleled speed, Astaroth suddenly appeared next to them. Dante tried to hit him once again with his sword, but just like the other times, it ended with him being thrown into a wall.

\- That was a very nauseating speech – Astaroth said gazing in Helena's direction – But it doesn't matter if he triggers or not, he would still lose

He suddenly appeared behind her and grabbed a handful of her hair as he began dragging her towards the Hell Gate. Helena desperately tried to free herself and get away from him, but he tightly grabbed her arm, almost breaking it due to the huge amount of strength he had. She soon realized his intention was to push her through the portal, which would end up with her being transported to Hell.

Dante got up once again, this time holding his broken jaw in pain as he put it back in place and quickly healed the bone fracture.

\- Leave her out of this! – He told the demon when he saw they were less than two feet away from the gate

\- Oh I will – Astaroth replied grinning as he looked at the portal – Once in Hell, she'll wish I had killed her… demons there won't be able to wait to make her scream in agony, to defile her… she'll be Hell's newest toy

His words made Dante's heart stop for a second. This was what his nightmares were about, he had seen in his dreams what would happen to her if Astaroth pushed her through the gate, if she was sent to Hell. He remembered the way her scent drove the demons into a frenzy earlier and a feeling of dread invaded his mind, he had to stop him.

Dante gave Helena a certain look and she could clearly understand what he meant. She gave him a little nod in response, letting him know that she fully trusted him.

\- Don't fight it, embrace it – Dante muttered to himself repeating Helena's words before launching at the demon

In a blink of an eye a Devil Triggered Dante pushed Astaroth away from her and quickly grabbed Rebellion in another attempt to fight him.

Helena stared at him and for a fraction of a second Dante looked back at her, this time she didn't perceive that uncontrolled rage she saw in his eyes the other time, this time she could see the Dante she knew and loved. He was finally in control of his demon form.

She rapidly went back to her quest of finding Yamato and eventually spotted it underneath a big piece of concrete. With the sword finally in her hands, she began making her way to the portal and got really close to the fight in the process. Even when using his Devil Trigger it was pretty obvious Dante was losing, it almost looked as if Astaroth was just playing with him and even worse, it seemed like Dante's sword couldn't penetrate the demon's armor, which meant the portal had to be closed if they wanted to stand a chance.

Once she was before the gate she tried using Yamato on it to close it, but the energy emanating from the portal was too big for her to bear, she felt as if her arm was being torn apart and the sword went flying after only a few seconds. There was no way she was going to be able to do this on her own.

The sword was not responding to her, maybe the gate could only be closed by Sparda himself or in this case one of his sons, but Dante had his hands full fighting Astaroth. In that moment she remembered about Vergil. Where was he? She looked around but his body was nowhere to be found, she was sure he was right there before the roof collapsed.

\- Oh no – She thought realizing that probably he was still under all the debris

Helena ran to where she remembered his body had been and began moving the big pieces of concrete, it was a good thing that she was stronger than an average human as it made the task a lot easier. First, she was able to spot Vergil's hand, he was still there. She moved all the concrete and saw the Nephilim's unconscious body. He had a little bit of blood on his face from the roof collapsing on top of him, but he had no visible wounds which meant he was alive and had already healed.

\- Vergil! Wake up!

She began shaking the body slightly, in all honesty she didn't know what to expect if he was to wake up, would he remember all the things he had done while being under Astaroth's control? Would he even know who she was? But most importantly, would he be on their side?

Vergil wasn't responding in any way to her attempts to wake him up and time was running out because she could tell Dante was really close to losing, so she did the only other thing that came to her mind.

\- Come on! – She slapped him as hard as she could - Wake up!

Finally Vergil responded by frowning in annoyance, his eyes began opening groggily as he heard an unfamiliar female voice yelling at him to wake up. He couldn't even remember having gone to sleep, the last thing he could remember was being in Hell and about to fight a Hollow demon that looked just like him. Had he lost that battle? Was that why he had been unconscious?

\- Am I dead? – He tried to ask, his vision was still hazy, not allowing him to distinguish anything around him

Helena froze for a moment when she heard him speak. Part of her couldn't believe this was him, the real Vergil, he was back at last.

\- No – She made a pause as he tried sitting up, he was grabbing his head in pain – Vergil please you have to close the…

She stopped her words when she noticed the way he was staring at her, it was as if he was seeing a ghost, he looked absolutely perplexed.

\- What's wrong? – She asked in concern

He couldn't believe it was her, it was really her in front of him, after all these years… She even called him by his name, which meant she hadn't forgotten about him.

\- Helena… - He muttered still looking stunned – It really is you…

Without even thinking of what he was doing, he reached out his hand and placed it on her cheek to make sure she was real and not a trick like the ones he had seen in Hell. Now she was the one that looked perplexed because for the first time he wasn't trying to hurt her and the crazy look he used to have on his eyes was completely gone.

\- You don't remember anything that happened in the last months – She concluded out loud as she pushed his hand away from her, physical contact with someone she didn't trust was still something she wasn't comfortable with

\- Months? What are you talking about? – He asked sounding puzzled - I haven't seen you in fifteen years

\- I'll explain later – She replied hurriedly - Now you have to close your father's gate!

Despite not being aware of the chaos that was going on, he knew what gate she was talking about, he had read about the story of his father's seal and the three keys. In that moment he realized his amulet was gone and if Helena was there with him, then it meant someone had broken the seal given her blood was one of the other keys.

He then spotted the two demons fighting in the adjacent room and his eyes widened as he recognized the red demon.

\- Is that… Dante?

\- Please Vergil, if you don't do something fast he is going to die!

Vergil's features hardened as he remembered the fight he had against his brother after defeating Mundus, the way he ruined all his plans and the way he was betrayed by the only person he thought he could trust.

\- What makes you think I care about him? – He replied with the coldest expression possible

Vergil's words felt almost like a stab to the heart for her. She didn't really know Vergil but according to Dante, he didn't care about mankind at all but she thought he would at least care about his brother, but he didn't. He wasn't going to help them. She felt the tears of impotence filling her eyes and falling on her cheeks because there was nothing she could do to help Dante.

She covered her face with her hands as she cried thinking everything was lost. A few seconds later she heard Vergil sighing in annoyance or resignation as he got to his feet.

\- Stop crying – He said sternly – I'll close the Hell Gate

Helena looked up at him in surprise and saw him picking up his sword and making his way to the gate. She had no idea what had made him change his mind so suddenly but she didn't really care either, she just followed him.

Vergil held his sword firmly as he used it to seal Sparda's power back. While watching the ongoing fight, Helena was sure Astaroth was aware that the portal was being closed but for some reason he didn't seem to really care about that.

The flow of energy that was coming from the portal and into Astaroth's body stopped as Vergil put Yamato back in its sheath.

\- The portal per se can only be closed if we destroy the structure – Vergil clarified – But my father's power has been sealed once again

\- That should make that demon weaker, right?

\- In theory – He answered as he also put his attention on the fight

Astaroth simply gazed back at them as he started laughing.

\- You really think I need Sparda's power to kill you all?

He became serious again and with one quick move of his sword he slashed Dante's chest making him return to his normal form.

Dante grabbed his chest in pain and everyone was surprised when they noticed he wasn't healing the large cut. The demon hunter realized the dark energy that surrounded Astaroth's sword worked similar to the poison that slowed down his healing factor.

\- You won't be able to heal that – Astaroth said in amusement – You want to live amongst humans and protect them? Then you'll die like one. Witness the power of Exitium – He said referring to his sword

Helena understood the Latin word, it meant destruction, ruin, and by the looks of it, that sword had the power to slow down or completely cancel a Nephilim's healing power.

\- And you? – The demon turned to Vergil – You are going to help them? You are going to defy your master?

\- My master? I don't know what you're talking about, I'm no one's subordinate

\- Oh really? – Astaroth replied chuckling – You don't remember all the delightful things you did while under my control?

Vergil's eyes widened, he was really confused and was trying to piece everything together, why had he been unconscious? Why did Helena say he couldn't remember anything that happened in the past months?

\- What is he talking about? – He asked Helena even when deep inside he already knew the answer, he just needed to hear it from someone else

\- It's true – She replied with a sad look – This past year you've been under his control

\- Do you remember now? – the demon asked, something shined in his eyes and Vergil immediately grabbed his head in pain

All the memories began rushing back to him, horrifying memories. He could clearly hear Kat's desperate screams in his mind, he could remember the cold blooded way he had slain her and the terrified look on her face before he did it. The memory sent a shiver down his spine because even when he felt betrayed by her, he wouldn't be capable of doing something so barbaric to someone he once considered not only an ally, but a friend.

\- But that's not all – Astaroth said looking absolutely entertained by Vergil's mental distress – Do you remember her? – He pointed in Helena's direction

Vergil looked at her and she got a little surprised when she saw the horrified expression on his face. He fell to his knees when he began to remember having seen her being dragged into that alley, having seen what they did to her and not doing anything to stop it.

\- No – He said to himself in denial

He dropped Yamato and grabbed his head with both his hands now trying his hardest to get Helena's muffled screams out of his head, to get the image of her bleeding, almost lifeless, battered body out of his mind. Thinking of the first time he met her, more than a decade ago, he almost couldn't believe someone could be sick enough to do something like that to someone as kind-hearted as her.

\- Now you remember, don't you? But don't play innocent – Astaroth said as if reading his mind – You hurt her too

Recalling the way he almost beat her to death mixed with all the other memories hunting his mind was too much for Vergil to bear. He even remembered Helena telling Astaroth that she wanted to free him from his control, after all the horrible things he had done she still wanted to save him… he began feeling absolutely sick to his stomach and the pain he was feeling in his head increased sharply, like his skull was being split into two.

Astaroth smirked as he saw Vergil was trembling and having a legit mental breakdown.

\- Well, that was easy – He said referring to the way he had dealt with Vergil – Now back to the other son of Sparda

Minutes had passed but Dante's wound hadn't even began to heal, something in Astaroth's sword completely countered his healing factor. He was losing hope, but he couldn't give up, he had to keep fighting, so he got back to his feet and using the last bits of energy he had left he triggered again.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25:

With the power of Sparda sealed, it seemed like Astaroth was a bit slower and not as strong as before, but still the fight was uneven since his armor was impenetrable nevertheless. The demon looked like he was only prolonging a match he could end in seconds given Dante was wounded and already exhausted. Helena noticed Vergil's trembling had stopped but he didn't look ok at all, he was just looking into space absently, lost in his own memories.

\- Vergil please snap out of it and help Dante! – She begged him but he didn't move an inch and kept that faraway look in his eyes

He couldn't believe he had been used like a puppet, used to hurt not just anyone, but people he actually had cared about. Even if he hadn't seen Helena in over fifteen years he still cared about her, if it wasn't for her and her family he wouldn't even be alive now. He could clearly remember the promise both him and his brother made to her back when they were kids, a promise he had intended to keep until things went out of control between him and Dante. But now it was too late, the damage was done and he was going to have to live with that burden the rest of his life. That thought made something inside of him burn like fire, trying to force its way out.

The following second Helena heard a growl of pain which made her turn around, but when she did she wished she hadn't. Dante was back into his human form and had Astaroth's sword going through his stomach. Blood was pouring out of the wound and dripping from his mouth as he fell to the floor almost unconscious.

\- I wish I could say it was fun while it lasted, but it wasn't even that – Astaroth said as he faked a yawn and got ready to give the final blow

\- Don't kill him! Please! – Helena ran to where they were and stood between the two of them – I'll do whatever you want… you can take me to Hell, but please don't kill him

A smirk formed on the demon's face, he loved seeing her beg, seeing her so desperate she was actually willing to go through an indescribable torture in Hell just to save her lover.

\- No… - Dante said almost in a whisper

He tried to stand up, one arm clutching his stomach and the other one using Rebellion as support to help him get up. He could barely stand and was starting to look pale due to the significant amount of blood he was losing every second. The wounds on his body were not giving any signs of healing and pain was filling every part of his body but still, using all his strength, he managed to take a few excruciating steps and stand between Astaroth and Helena.

\- Dante, please stop fighting! – Helena went to his side and tried to grab his arm – You are going to die!

He turned his face to hers and gave her a strained smile.

\- I rather die protecting you than live without you - He replied as he felt more blood making its way up his throat

Helena broke down into tears as she saw the two fighting once again, she felt so useless at the moment because she couldn't do anything but watch. As expected, it only took Astaroth a couple of seconds to beat the already injured Nephilim, but this time was for good. His sword went through Dante's heart as his body fell to the floor for the final time.

Helena immediately ran to him and sat next to his body. He was unconscious and a pool of blood had rapidly formed around him. Carefully, she pulled him into her lap as she caressed his face.

\- Dante… - She said as tears poured down her face like a waterfall and fell all over him – Please wake up

The sound of her voice made him slowly open his eyes. A very unfamiliar numbness was beginning to crawl over his body, he knew the fatal wounds were still there even though they didn't hurt anymore.

\- Babe… I'm sorry… - He muttered hoarsely, his breathing beginning to come in shallow gasps - I couldn't do it

Helena shook her head, not willing to accept the dreadful truth, Dante was dying.

\- You don't have to apologize, just… stay awake please … you are going to be fine – She tried to lie to herself – Everything is going to be alright

Even on the brink of death he couldn't bear to see her crying and wanted to reach out his hand to wipe her tears away but he couldn't even do that. He was too weak to move and knew that the only thing keeping him alive at the moment was his will to protect the woman he loved. All this time he had been so scared to lose her and now he was the one dying in her arms.

\- Step aside – Astaroth suddenly commanded her – I don't want to damage my new plaything so soon

Helena didn't even flinch, if Dante was dying then he was going to have to kill her as well. There was no way she was going to leave his side.

Astaroth simply shrugged his shoulders and raised his sword, ready to kill them both. Helena just closed her eyes as she covered Dante with her body and waited for the final blow, but surprisingly it never came. All she heard was the sound of metal against metal. When she opened her eyes to see what had stopped the onslaught, her jaw almost dropped because Vergil was standing in front of Astaroth blocking his attack with Yamato.

\- How dare you using me like a tool?! – Vergil growled looking livid - You will pay for everything you did!

The demon seemed very irritated by the unexpected interruption at first but his expression quickly changed to a pleased one. He wasn't going to let anyone ruin this moment.

\- This should be fun – He replied smirking

Vergil lunged forward unleashing the full power of his Devil Trigger and turning into a demon himself, but unlike Dante, he seemed to be in perfect control of his demonic form from the start.

The two began fighting as Helena was still surprised by Vergil's action, she wasn't sure if he did what he did to save them or just as a form of retaliation for Astaroth using him, maybe it was a mix of the two, but there was no way of really knowing since Vergil was extremely hard to read, unlike his brother. Whatever the case was, it didn't matter, all that mattered was that he was on their side now. They were all on the same side, just like he himself said when they were kids.

She turned her attention back to Dante and noticed he had a very faint smile as his eyes were set on the ongoing fight. She guessed it was because of Vergil, knowing his brother was finally back and seeing how he had just saved them both.

\- I told you – Helena said trying to smile – I told you we could bring him back

Dante nodded weakly in reply as his blue eyes flicked up to her. Knowing it wouldn't be long until he died, he focused all his attention on her, taking in every detail of her beautiful face for the last time.

\- Helena, I love you – He said in a whisper – Always remember that

\- Dante please… stay with me – She pleaded choking on her tears and holding his hand tightly, afraid he was going to lose consciousness again – Don't leave me

\- Please don't cry… you… you know what's the best thing that ever happened to me? – He asked already drifting into darkness as she shook her head - Seeing happiness shine through your eyes once again, seeing the spark in your eyes coming back…

A ghost of a smile formed on her face and even if he wished with all his heart to stay with her, he knew he wasn't going to be able to fulfill that request, but seeing her smile one more time was the comfort he needed to go in peace; that was the last memory he wanted to have of this world.

\- No… Dante… don't leave me please… - She begged sobbing uncontrollably as his eyes closed and his hand went limp - Please…. I need you

Panic went through her as she frantically checked his pulse. She felt a very weak one but she knew he didn't have long. In that moment she heard a thud as the fight behind her came to an end. She hesitantly turned around to see the outcome, scared of what she was going to see. Sadly, her fears became reality when she saw Vergil's injured and defeated body on the floor. He tried to get back up, but failed and fell to his hands and knees, he gave Helena an apologetic look for a second before passing out. He couldn't do it either, without their healing factor fighting was useless. Astaroth seemed a little tired but didn't have a single wound on him, his armor still intact.

\- And now – the demon said looking at her – a one way trip to Hell awaits you… but first – He began walking towards her as he pointed in Dante's direction – I'm going to make you watch as I rip his heart out, he'll die the same way his whore mother did

Helena began to feel a sharp burning sensation growing in her chest as rage was taking over her.

\- I'm going to kill you! – She yelled at him out of desperation because deep inside she knew she wouldn't even make a dent in his armor, but she had to fight too, Dante and Vergil had fought to the end, she had to do the same

Astaroth laughed hysterically in response to her threat and watched in amusement as she launched at him. Before she could even hit him, he grabbed her by the neck tightly.

\- You are the most pathetic out of the three – He said as he increased the pressure on her throat – I mean, you are not really a human, neither you are really a Nephilim, you stink of angel but you don't have wings… you know, all the things that happened to you serve you right for being a nature's mistake

He began dragging her to where Dante's body was and then threw her several feet away. He proceeded to grab Dante by the hem of his coat with one hand and then pulled him up like a ragdoll. With his other hand he began digging into his flesh to rip his faintly beating heart out.

Helena couldn't believe this was happening, she couldn't bear seeing Dante dying in front of her. He was the one person that had selflessly helped her when she was at her worst, and the person that loved her unconditionally regardless of the past. He had given his life to save and protect her and now she was going to do the same for him, she was willing to die for him, so she quickly got back to her feet and ran towards them with the intention of pushing the demon away from Dante.

\- Get away from him!

The moment she came in contact with the demon she felt an immense amount of energy irradiating off of her and for a split of a second she also felt a sharp pain on her back. She had never felt anything remotely similar to this before and couldn't believe her eyes when Astaroth was sent flying across the room and crashed into one of the remaining walls. At the same time, a golden heavenly light began filling almost the entire place.

\- What the… - The demon grunted as he got up not sure of what had exactly happened, but when he saw what was in front of him he froze completely – Impossible

Helena gazed back at him looking just as confused and noticed he was staring at something behind her. She turned her head and was startled when she saw what Astaroth had been staring. A pair of golden, splendid wings extended from her back and she understood that was the sudden pain she felt just seconds before.

Concern was unexpectedly written all across Astaroth's face. He knew regular angels' wings were pure white and only archangels' wings had that golden glow to them which was the counterpart of the dark energy that emanated from his sword.

From the corner of her eye Helena noticed something moving slightly next to her. The light that came from her wings was healing Dante's wounds and then it hit her, this was just like his Devil Trigger, only an angel version of it and while Dante's full power had initially been triggered by the rage of losing her, hers was triggered by her desire to save him. She also realized something else, her powers were not meant for fighting, they were meant for helping those she cared about.

Dante groggily opened his eyes sure that he was already dead and was surprised because he never thought he would be going to Heaven once he died, but he must be on cloud nine since he was seeing the most beautiful and magnificent angel in front of him. Once his vision cleared completely he sat up and noticed in bewilderment and confusion that said angel had his Helena's face.

He looked around and realized he was actually alive and back in the underground part of the mansion. That warm light that was filling the place was making him feel so at ease, as if his injuries weren't even there, it was only then that he noticed all his wounds were fully healed.

\- Helena? – He still couldn't believe what was happening when he addressed her

She looked incredibly relieved to see that he was fine and a few tears of joy left her eyes. She almost couldn't believe what she had been able to do.

\- I guess it was time for the damsel to rescue her knight in distress – She said as she smiled sweetly at him and extended her hand for him to take

Dante smiled back at her and the instant he touched her he felt a great amount of energy and power going through his whole body. He saw how the heavenly light began surrounding him and Rebellion. He then looked at his own hands in amazement, suddenly feeling extremely powerful, almost invincible.

\- It's the archangel's power – She explained – Now you won't be vulnerable to the power of Astaroth's sword and Rebellion will be able to pierce through his armor

Dante was still in shock as he recalled that she had archangel's blood in her but he never imagined she would be able to trigger that power the same way he did with his demonic one. He then noticed he wasn't the only one that had been affected by her powers. Vergil had also gotten back to his feet and was staring at Helena in complete admiration and astonishment, and he knew it took a lot to impress his normally impassive brother, but something about the way he gazed at her was beginning to bother him.

Helena turned around and smiled when she saw Vergil was healed as well and, just like she did with Dante, she reached out her hand for him to take. Dante seemed a little apprehensive about it, but Vergil had shown his clear intention to fight Astaroth so he guessed it was safe to trust him, at least for now.

Vergil hesitantly took her hand and was also surrounded by the divine light. He felt the growing power going through every part of him. For so long he had been looking for this, for more power and now he had it, thanks to her, which made her even more special and fascinating than he had thought before.

\- Amazing – He muttered beholding her and maintaining the hold on her hand

Dante's annoyance grew fast, he hated the way Vergil looked at her like she was a sort of trophy for him to claim. He gently pushed Helena behind him, breaking their hands apart in the process and stood there between her and Vergil. He was going to deal with him later but for now he wanted him as far away from her as possible.

\- Let's get this over with – He said glaring at Astaroth – I'm fucking tired of you

Feeling almost all her energy drained after passing her powers to the twins, Helena's wings disappeared as she also gazed at the demon.

\- You were right Astaroth, I may not be strong enough to fight you, but they are now

\- I already defeated them once! – He growled angrily – I will do it again!

\- You won't if they fight together

Both Dante and Vergil were taken off guard and stared at each other, it was evident there was still some mistrust between them but they were going to have to set their differences apart and work together if they wanted to defeat the common enemy. As if reading each other's mind, they both nodded at the same time before they lunged forward to kill Astaroth once and for all.

The demon was so fast that he was able to block both attacks and immediately counterattacked furiously. His sword, Exitium, grazed Dante's arm leaving a visible cut. Everyone stared at the wound expectantly for a fraction of a second and Astaroth couldn't believe when he saw the cut instantly healing.

\- How?! – He growled at Dante irately

\- Well, let's just say I have a guardian angel now – Dante said as his cocky smile appeared on his face

The fight continued and every time the demon managed to hurt one of the Nephilim they would immediately heal as if nothing had happened. With one of his advantages gone, Astaroth's normally arrogant attitude was replaced by worry and slight fear. Now, the only thing the brothers needed to test was if their swords could in fact pierce through the demon's armor.

It soon became impossible for Astaroth to keep blocking all the attacks coming from both Dante and Vergil simultaneously, and just as he was blocking one of Vergil's attacks, Dante saw the opportunity he had been looking for and took it. With one quick and precise swift of Rebellion he managed to cut Astaroth's hand off and therefore made him drop his sword. The demon roared in pain and, immediately after that, Vergil went behind him and pushed Yamato through the demon's heart. Astaroth fell to his knees as he looked at Exitium on the floor near him form the corner of his eye with the intention of grabbing it back with his good hand.

\- Nah uh – Dante said kicking the sword away from him - I don't think so

\- No… this can't be happening… you can't defeat me! – Astaroth spoke with difficulty

\- It's over – Dante declared – You're done

\- Wait! – Astaroth exclaimed in desperation looking at Helena – You… you can't let them kill me… that wouldn't be proper of an angel and… your grandfather is the archangel of mercy... you can't…

Helena, who had been simply watching the fight all this time, got a little closer to them as a sardonic grin formed on her face.

\- That's true – She said as her smirk grew wider – But sadly for you I'm not an angel, I'm just a "nature's mistake", remember?

Dante chuckled as Astaroth just stared at her with incredulity.

\- Besides – She continued as her grin disappeared completely – Four months ago you watched me slowly dying in that alley, now it's my turn to watch _you_ die

A look of absolute despair crossed the demon's face as he was left speechless.

\- You should be thankful – Dante told him turning serious – A quick death is far too kind for a monster like you

Without waiting for a response, Dante raised his sword and decapitated the demon with a single blow. They watched as the headless body fell to the floor and it instantly began fading into ashes. At the same time, the heavenly light that had been surrounding the twins during the fight began disappearing as well.

It was over, it was finally over.

\- You did it! – Helena exclaimed joyfully as she ran to Dante and pulled him into a tight hug, almost knocking him over

\- No, _we_ did it – He corrected her as he smiled at her – I'm so fucking proud of you!

Before she could reply he leaned forward to meet her lips in a deep and long kiss. He was so caught up in the passion of the moment that he completely forgot Vergil was still there.

\- You two are together? – The words escaped Vergil's mouth before he could stop them

The abrupt question and subtle angry tone in his voice took the couple by surprise as they broke apart. The look of annoyance returned to Dante's face before he turned and glared at his brother.

\- Yeah, you have a problem with that? – He answered getting defensive

\- Why would I? – Vergil replied trying his best to conceal his irritation

The truth was he did have a problem with it, but that didn't matter anymore, he had already made up his mind. Thankfully, Dante seemed to believe his lack of interest and proceeded to walk towards the sword Astaroth had left behind.

\- I'm going to keep this – He said grabbing the weapon – So it doesn't end up in the wrong hands

The moment he mentioned the last part he shot Vergil a glare, implying that he was talking about him. Vergil simply gazed back at him with a fed-up look on his face. Had he been a more expressive person, he would have rolled his eyes at Dante.

\- You can do whatever you want Dante, I'm not planning on staying here

\- What do you mean?

\- I'm leaving – Vergil answered as he took a look at the still open portal

\- You mean you're going to…

\- The demon world

Dante was certainly not expecting to hear that, somewhere deep inside he was wishing they could start all over and be the family they once were, but Vergil's plans didn't involve any of that and that kind of pissed him off.

\- What for Vergil?! So you can look for "more power"?! You've seen what your senseless search for power has caused! It has only brought pain and suffering to people you used to care about!

Vergil looked down to the floor for a brief moment, he knew Dante was right and he actually felt guilty and sorry for everything that happened to Kat and Helena while he was under that demon's control.

\- I know, and I'm sorry about that, but it's not power I'm going to look for, I just can't stay here, I still don't share your view on mankind and never will, I don't belong here amongst humans – There was complete hatred in his voice when he mention the last word - They're weak and they're…

\- You're wrong! They're not – Dante replied and then he looked at Helena – She survived a living hell as a human and I'm sure she's the strongest person you and I will ever meet!

When Vergil set his eyes on her, a flash of pain and sorrow showed on his face, failing his attempt of hiding his feelings.

\- And I'll forever be in debt to her for that – Vergil said and then turned around – But after remembering what happened to her, I despise humans even more now

Dante noticed the guilt in his brother's face, which confirmed the fact that Vergil knew exactly who Helena was all along but never said anything about her while they were fighting Mundus.

\- Wait… I have to ask you something – Dante stopped him - You knew about Helena all the time but you never told me anything about her so that I wouldn't remember her, why?

\- What good would it have done? Knowing how impulsive you are, if I had told you about her you would've immediately gone running to her, jeopardizing the mission

\- Jeopardizing the mission?! That's all you fucking cared about?! – Dante raised his voice in anger – Vergil, we promised her we would find her as soon as we recovered our memory! We could have protected her! We could have saved her!

\- I know! – Vergil shouted back in exasperation – That's what I was trying to do! If you had gone to see her back then you would have only made her a target for Mundus! Have you thought about that?! Of course not! Unlike you, I did remember her and I did find her. I had members of The Order following her to make sure she was safe, but tell me Dante what did you do for her back then? Nothing!

\- You did what? – Helena finally spoke in disbelief of the fact that there had been people following her without her knowing it

\- I only did it for your own safety, if you had been in any kind of danger I would've gone myself

Dante's rage only seemed to increase, it angered him that even when they were fighting together as a team, Vergil had kept information from him, information that could have changed everything, and even worse, something was telling him there was more to it than what he was being told.

\- You know Vergil… I have the feeling you still wouldn't have told me about her even after defeating Mundus

\- You're right – He admitted - Probably not

\- So you just never really wanted me to remember her, why? – Dante asked even when he already suspected the answer - Spit it out Vergil

\- You want to know why? When I found you Dante you were just a bum living in an old trailer, you slept with every woman you could get your hands on, do you think she deserved that? – He made a pause and Dante's expression hardened – I, on the other hand, could have given her the life she deserves, the life of a queen, but you ruined everything!

Helena was taken aback by Vergil's words as she just stood there, completely stunned and speechless. But for some reason Dante didn't seem surprised at all, his suspicions turning out to be right.

\- I fucking knew it! – Dante spat angrily as he stepped forward to start a confrontation – I swear Vergil if you…

Vergil snorted in amusement interrupting his brother.

\- I never thought you were the insecure type Dante – He said in a lighter tone, but then went back to his usual serious one - Relax, none of that matters anymore. I already told you, you can do whatever you want. Besides, I understand that given the way things have unfolded you two hate me now – Vergil said as he made his way to the pedestal where the amulets rested

He grabbed his own and put it around his neck, he then took the red one and threw it back at its owner. Dante caught it with ease as he saw Vergil walking up to them with something in his hand, he extended his palm to Helena, giving her the necklace back. She thanked him as she took it and then Vergil began making his way to the portal.

\- Vergil wait! – Helena was the one to stop him this time – We don't hate you, this wasn't your fault… I mean, you may have made a few mistakes but… we forgive you because in the end you did the right thing… you don't have to leave… please stay – She knew that deep inside that was what Dante wanted too, but also knew he was too proud to actually say it

Vergil turned around slightly and gave her a faint smile. He was glad to hear that, he felt as if part of the burden was being lifted off his shoulders; but more importantly, he was glad to know that even after all the horrible things she had been through she hadn't changed at all, she was still as sweet and innocent as the little girl he had met years ago.

\- Thank you, it really means a lot, but I can't – He told her with an apologetic look on his face – The demon realm is where I belong, is where my father is

\- You are going to look for Sparda?! – Both Dante and Helena asked unison

Vergil just nodded once in response.

\- I'll go with you then – Dante said hurriedly as he walked towards the portal as well – I want to see him too

The following second Dante found himself with Yamato pointed at this neck and Vergil giving him a severe look.

\- Don't even think about following me. I might not belong here, but you do, with her. Also, I know you wouldn't leave her here alone, and Hell is too dangerous for someone like her – He said referring to her angelic nature – I won't let you put her in that kind of danger

In that moment Dante began to remember his nightmares about them in Hell. Vergil was right, it would be too risky for Helena. They just couldn't go with him.

\- Don't worry about me – Helena tried to reassure Vergil – I'll be fine

\- No, he's right – Dante told her – For once, I have to agree with Vergil

A pleased expression appeared on Vergil's face as he put Yamato back in its sheath.

\- Once I leave, you have to destroy this gate so no one else crosses it

\- Are you ever coming back? – Dante asked with sadness and bitterness in his voice as he just stared at the floor

Vergil was taken by surprise, he could expect Helena to ask him to stay but never thought Dante would be upset to see him leave, especially after they almost killed each other the other time. Dante had definitely changed a lot since then and he was sure Helena had to do with that. He walked to his brother and placed a hand on his shoulder.

\- I'm sorry Dante – was all he said

Dante just stared at him in silence trying to accept the fact that this would probably be the last time he would see his brother. He had just come back and now he was leaving again most likely forever. Yet another loss he was going to have to cope with. He couldn't help but remember when they were separated as kids, it was as if he was reliving that moment. He took a deep breath as he forced himself not to cry this time.

\- Goodbye Verge – He told him trying to smile through the pain

Vergil gave him a melancholic smile for a second before he turned around and began walking towards the portal. Just before he crossed it he stopped and turned his head slightly.

\- Please take care – He told them both

An image of seven year old Vergil saying the same thing just before entering the orphanage crossed Dante's mind and, just like that time, he watched his brother disappearing, not knowing if he was ever going to see him again.

It was clear by Dante's face that he was hurting and upset about Vergil leaving.

\- Vergil is such an idiot… – He muttered clenching his teeth – I don't think I'll ever understand him

\- He's a little complicated yes, but he's not evil

\- I know that now – Dante replied looking down – Thanks to you

\- Don't be sad… despite what he said, something tells me we'll see him and Sparda again one day – She said rubbing his shoulder in comfort

He seemed to think about it for a moment and then a ray of hope appeared on his face. If he had managed to see his brother again after they were separated when they were seven then there was a chance. There was always a chance.

\- It's like taking detours, right? – He repeated the words she once told him when they were kids – If it's meant to be, it'll happen – He said taking one final look at the Hell Gate before destroying it forever


	26. Epilogue

Epilogue:

*2 months later*

\- Ok, are you ready? – Helena said getting close to the switch near the front door

Dante nodded as he looked around the place, their new home. After the whole Hell Gate ordeal they had decided to move in together permanently. They sold the two apartments and bought a three story house with the money, it gave them the feeling of a fresh start, leaving the past behind.

Helena turned the switch on as he opened the front door and eagerly got outside to take a look. The big day had finally come. She followed him as they both gazed up to admire the big red neon sign above the entrance. It read "DEVIL MAY CRY".

Ever since Limbo ceased to exist demons had been invading the city which took a lot of work and effort to get under control but they succeeded for the most part. The problem was that some of them had managed to hide themselves amongst humans which made the task of tracking them almost impossible. That's when the idea of opening the demon-hunting business came up. It passed as a handyman shop to most people, but some actually knew the real nature of the place and that number increased every day as the awareness of demons grew.

\- It's even better than I thought – Dante said proudly – and I love the name you chose

Helena looked away from the sing and glanced at him as she smiled.

\- Come on, lets back inside

Once in the living room, Helena found herself staring at Dante's desk and the two photo frames on it. She walked to them and couldn't help but smile when she looked at the first one. It was a picture Dante had grabbed from the mansion after Vergil left. A very lovely portrait of the Sparda family taken probably when the twins were only five years old. She was happily amazed at how much Dante had changed. When she first met him as an adult he had basically no interest in his family, he would get irritated every time either Vergil or Sparda were even mentioned and now it was so different, almost the complete opposite. A couple of days after the gate was destroyed he had even asked her to work on his memory again, he wanted to remember more, he wanted to remember everything. It was as if he had come to terms with the past, he had learned to not be hurt by it anymore but instead, he now felt glad of the memories with his family he could cherish. She also knew that deep inside he believed that one day he would see his brother and father again.

Then her eyes went to the second photograph. It was a very simple portrait of her that Dante himself had taken around three weeks before. She had also changed so much since the day in which he first rescued her from those demons. She was no longer the miserable and hopeless girl he had met that day and that was clearly evident just by looking at that picture, that's why he loved it so much he decided to frame it and put it on his desk. He would say it was a reminder of the best thing that ever happened to him. The thought of that made her lips curve into a smile. But of course there were bad days too, depression is not something one can just snap out of, it sometimes felt like a constant struggle, but she no longer had to fight by herself and now she was more determined than ever to win that battle.

She had been so deep in thought that she didn't realize how close Dante was until she felt his arms wrapping around her waist from behind.

\- What are you thinking about? – He asked resting his chin on her shoulder

\- Just how much things have changed since we met for the second time

\- I know – He replied – Who would have thought that two broken people could fix each other?

Helena slowly turned around to face him, his arms still around her and she could see the pure love in his blue eyes.

\- Well, maybe we were part of the same piece all along - She gave him one of her breathtaking smiles

\- And always will be - He said before leaning to press his lips against hers in a tender kiss

* * *

 **AN: And finally, after almost two years I managed to finish this story :D**

 **Thanks to everyone who took the time to read it and specially to the awesome people that left reviews, it meant a lot. Please let me know what you thought of the story overall.**

 **Greetings!**


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